Taxes are decreasing slightly and waste management is costing close to half the overall budget for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.
The 2019 Operating Budget and Five-Year Financial Plan was approved this afternoon (Thursday), who provide 92 services to residents of its seven electoral areas and to Prince George, Mackenzie, Valemount and McBride.
Operating and capital expenditures for the Regional District in 2019 will total $51.1 million.
Of that, $19.3 million will be funded through property taxation, which is an increase of $450,000 or 2.4% over 2018. According to a statement from the District, most of the other funding is coming in the form of grants, user fees and use of reserve funds.
Solid Waste Management, at $22.8 million, was the most significant expenditure, accounting for 46% of the budget.
Also high on the list of expenditures are 9-1-1 Emergency Response Services at $6.5 million (12.7%) and Protective Services rang in at $5.8 million (10.6%).
Regional District Chairman Art Kaehn says the 2019 budget “reflects an investment in capital projects in a number of key areas including solid waste management and the 9-1-1 emergency service.”
“We are excited to move forward on some big projects that will improve quality of life for residents in our region without a significant impact on taxation,” said Kaehn.
On that note, Regional District taxes per $100,000 of residential assessment decreased in all municipalities and electoral areas, however, Kaehn said that an increase or decrease in the overall requisition (tax) does not always translate to what residents will see reflected on their bill.
List of decreases per $100,000 residential assessment:
Prince George, the taxes decreased 4% to $53.32
In Mackenzie, taxes are down 3.8% to $61.84
Valemount will see a 3.5% decrease at $283.05
McBride will see a decrease of 2.9% at $414.28.
The average increase region-wide in property assessment was 6.57%.
Kaehn said the budget can affect communities in the region differently depending on a number of things including what services are provided to that area, fluctuations in property assessments and a change in the amount of residential or commercial properties that share in the funding of a particular service.