Public feedback is being sought to help the city of Port Coquitlam make spending decisions.
An online survey is available for people to comment on a wide variety of issues, including how they feel about city services generally and the draft budget for 2017/’18.
"Council wants to hear that feedback," said city communications manager Pardeep Purewal, noting that the answers the city receives — upwards of 600 replies in past years — are used to shape budget decisions for the coming year.
Indeed, in previous years, public feedback stopped the city from reducing grass cutting and customer service hours at Leigh Square Community Arts Village, and reversed a plan to cut off-peak youth centre hours, according to Purewal.
The request for feedback comes as PoCo is set to approve a draft budget that proposes a 4.23% increase in municipal taxes and levies for the average home, the details of which are both online and contained in a mailout sent to all PoCo households and business.
The public has until April 11 to complete the online survey or drop off at any city facility a paper version contained in the mailout.
According to the city, roughly two thirds of the proposed tax hike will go to pay for three new police officers. five new firefighters, saving for long-term infrastructure renewal and for construction costs for the new recreation complex being built in downtown Port Coquitlam.
Based on the draft budget, the owner of a PoCo home assessed at $682,859 (the average value of both single-family and multi-family homes) would pay $114.18 more at tax time this year than last. That includes increases of $3.76 for the water utility, $11.12 for the sewer utility, and $7.06 for the solid waste levy, as well as a $25 parcel tax (a flat amount to be applied to all properties from 2017 to 2020) for the recreation complex.
As well, the city's financial plan looks at spending for next year, too, with a projected tax and levy increase for 2018 of about 3.51%, including 0.67% for the recreation complex construction.
• You can find the survey and more information about the budget at portcoquitlam.ca/budget.
