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HomeNewsSmithers presented 2017 budget and five year financial plan this week

Smithers presented 2017 budget and five year financial plan this week

Smithers Council gave the public a presentation of the town’s budget yesterday.

They’re looking at an overall tax increase of 2.63 per cent and an 11.1 million operating budget for 2017.

The finance committee, made up of council, lowered the tax share for businesses with an increase of 0.72 per cent, while the average residential assessment is increasing 4.6 per cent.

That means there will be between 42 and 52 extra on the yearly tax bill for residential and single family dwellings. Staff indicate it is the lowest overall tax increase in recent years.

Mayor Taylor Bachrach says there was a large focus on cutting costs this year.

“One of the big decisions we made was not to grant some of the arts and culture organizations the increases that they requested,” says Bachrach. “I wrote them a letter as a mayor and told them we have a lot of pressures in this budget, and we’re trying to make things as affordable as possible.”

The town also presented the five-year financial plan of around 30 million dollars. 63 per cent of that will be spent on facilities.

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