Lantzville councillors discuss difficult financial decisions to be made during a Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, Oct. 28. (District of Lantzville)

By Ian Holmes

Rising taxes

Lantzville residents brace for 20 per cent property tax increase

Oct 31, 2019 | 3:17 AM

LANTZVILLE — Rock bottom property taxes in Lantzville are slated to rise sharply as the District catches up on expensive infrastructure needs.

Lantzville’s director of financial services Jamie Slater informed council this week property taxes are projected to increase in the 20 per cent range next year, amounting to an extra $170 for the average single-family household.

Slater said their asset management account was vastly underfunded, pointing to more than $12 million worth of required road upgrades over the next nine years.

She said the District is on track to be more than $8 million short to pay for those key road improvements over that time.

“I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that that’s a large funding gap,” Slater told concerned councillors at a Monday evening committee meeting.

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Councillor Will Geselbracht said previous administrations patted themselves on the back for having the lowest taxes in the mid island

“I hope I’m hearing from the table here that we do have the wisdom and the political courage to make the tough decision,” Geselbracht said.

Mayor Mark Swain said Lantzville taxpayers are likely to bear substantial tax hikes over the next several years.

“It’s a brave endeavour we’re on here but it’s the right endeavour to be on and hopefully we can correct things moving forward,” Swain said.

Numerous other cost challenges are at play beyond the lagging infrastructure funding when councillors rubber stamp the 2020 budget in the new year.

The 2020-2024 financial plan shows expenses increasing by more than $420,000 next year.

This is due to requests for a public works foreman, deputy corporate administrator and increases to the modest snow removal budget.

Inflationary pressures including a two per cent CUPE pay increase and rising fuel prices will further strain the District’s financial situation next year.

Lantzville’s property taxes are still among the lowest on Vancouver Island, which shot up by nearly 10 per cent last year.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes