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HomeNewsProperty Taxes expected to rise over 5 % in Smithers

Property Taxes expected to rise over 5 % in Smithers

The Five-Year Budget Plan Bylaw and Property Tax Bylaw were given their first three readings at last night’s (Tuesday) Smithers town council meeting. 

According to Community Charter section 197, these bylaws must be adopted before May 15th. 

With what the BC Assessment Authority called a typical single-family residence in Smithers, valued at $498,000 for 2023, property taxes will be going up by 5.44 per cent. 

Last year, they called $438,000 typical for Smithers. 

Also included in this budget is an increase to the road paving budget, increasing it to $1 million, and an increase in sidewalk funding. 

Airport revenues are closer to what they were prior to COVID according to Director of Finance William Wallace, at $45 thousand. 

Water treatment upgrades were also mentioned in the budget to be funded by provincial and federal grants. 

Wallace said the system does not meet Northern Health regulations, and upgrades will cost $8 million to do. 

With the water system, federal manganese quality requirements are also not being met and the town has allocated the last of the Northern Capitol Planning Grant reserve to perform the required upgrades. 

Smithers went through the readings on these bylaws at the last council meeting and plan to adopt at their next.

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