By David Wiwchar

Tax discussions begin with 17% increase

Feb 6, 2024 | 9:24 AM

Port Alberni homeowners are facing a tax increase of close to 17%.

That would increase the average residential tax bill by $500 to around $4800 a year.

Andrew McGifford, the city’s Director of Finance, blamed inflationary increases in presenting the 2024 budget last night.

Capital expenditures are set to increase by 3.16% or $877,000, Policing Services up 2.75% or 765,000, and the fire department 1.56% or $432,000

The 16.86% increase is more than double what the city predicted last year, and Mayor Sharie Minions says city council will spend the next three months working to bring that increase down.

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“On a positive note, one of the most significant increase areas is investment in capital and infrastructure,” she said. “A focus of this budget, about $1.8 million, is being spent on renewing our ageing infrastructure. There’s additional capital projects outside of that but that’s on the actual infrastructure renewal piece. That alone is a 3.16% increase which obviously is driving that number up significantly.”

The next opportunity for council to debate the budget is at their regular meeting this coming Monday.