The Sunshine Coast Regional District is the latest local government to wrap up its budget, and ratepayers are facing some big increases.
SCRD tax bills for the rural areas will be going up anywhere from the low of 6.1 per cent for Elphinstone to the high of 10 per cent in West Howe Sound.
(Other rural area increases are: Area A 6.81% Area B 7.3%, Area D 7.2%. The increase in the SCRD part of the municipal taxes will be 5.6% for the SIGD, 6.9% for Sechelt and 10.7% for Gibsons)
Speaking on Coast TV, SCRD Chair Garry Nohr said one of the major expenditures – 500 thousand dollars in upgrades for rec facilities – will save money down the road.
Nohr also says provincial downloading, and new standards for fire department training have added to the Regional District’s expenses.
He adds they were able to keep the tax increases from being even higher by using about 113 thousand dollars from revenue out of the Multi Material BC recycling program to defer costs for green waste and other sold waste operations.
