Weekly organics pick-up for Port Coquitlam residents receiving city garbage collection is in this year’s draft operations budget.
Tuesday, committee of council voted on six packages to earmark in the proposed 2020-’24 financial plan, a document that — after the public is consulted next month — will go before council for approval this spring.
Preliminary budget estimates for PoCo show one of the lowest property tax hikes in the Lower Mainland:
• 0.48% — or a $9.33 increase — for the statistically average residential home valued at $735,517, bringing the total property tax to $1,941.76;
• 0.96% — or a $248.45 jump — for industrial properties;
• and a decrease of 0.11% — or $23.12 — for commercial properties.
The property tax increase does not include utility costs or the $25 parcel tax for the revamped and expanded Port Coquitlam community centre (2020 is the last year for the latter levy).
Mayor Brad West called the draft $110-million plan “a very positive and responsible budget” that, “unlike other cities” in the region that are seeing tax hikes up to 7%, holds the line on taxes while also providing for enhancements.
“I think [the budget] is pretty remarkable when you hear about other municipalities in the Lower Mainland,” West said. “It is a standout.”
The low tax rate is a result of reviewing line items for each department, chief administrative officer Kristen Dixon said. As well, West said, city staff are finding efficiencies within the organization and offering suggestions to trim costs — this year, amounting to a net $166,250 in savings.
In his three-hour presentation to the committee, Farouk Zaba, the city’s manager of financial planning, also noted additional savings with the recent refinancing of long-term debts at lower interest rates.
That move — dealing with debt incurred for the construction of the Coast Meridian Overpass and the community centre — resulted in more than $1 million in savings, or a 0.46% decrease for taxpayers, this year.
“This is a pretty phenomenal place to be sitting,” said West, who is on the board of trustees of the Municipal Finance Authority, which carries the city loans. “It doesn’t happen by accident. It’s happens because of a lot of hard work and responsible decisions.”
Among the budget cost drivers, which were voted on by committee Tuesday, are $447,150 in proposed enhancements to city services:
• $42,800 to start a weekly organics collection this fall, aimed at decreasing the number of human-wildlife conflicts;
• $14,000 for the PoCo Sports Alliance, a non-profit that champions amateur and professional athletes in the city;
• $44,000 for CCTV pipe inspections;
• $15,000 for fire department training, to transition first responders to emergency medical responders (allowing firefighters to be certified with basic life-saving skills, Fire Chief Robert Kipps said);
• $12,000 for LED screens and audio equipment for Remembrance Day services;
• and $7,000 for a six-month artist-in-residence program at Lions Park (using money from the arts and culture reserve).
The committee, however, deferred budget requests — pending further staff reports — for one-time funding of $7,500 (from the accumulated surplus) to livestream the 2020 Remembrance Day event, on a trial basis, as well as $12,000 for each of the next five years to animate Leigh Square and the Donald Pathway, an updated pedestrian route that cuts through the downtown core.
Meanwhile, Zaba said the city will continue to tuck away an additional 1% per year for its long-term infrastructure reserve to pay for capital projects.
Still, Zaba told committee it’s an “unusual year” as growth is up and assessments are down (the average value for a detached home fell 10% in PoCo between July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2019, according to BC Assessment figures released last week). And property assessments also fell further between last fall and January, which had an additional impact on the draft budget, Zaba added.
The city needs to raise $68 million in property taxation this year to pay for city services and programs.
The two-year capital budget was adopted last November and includes improvements to Coast Meridian Road; Prairie, Kingsway and Langan avenues; and Shaughnessy Street.
The capital plan also sets aside $716,400 for a SkyTrain feasibility study, a policing services review and a Master Transportation Plan update plus funding for a climate change adaptation strategy, beginning in 2021.
For more details, call Port Coquitlam city hall at 604-927-5280, email [email protected] or visit portcoquitlam.ca/2020budget.
