Rural Tax Payers

If you live out of town in the rural area – “C” the part of the RDOS that surrounds Oliver you will likely pay about the same in taxes this year as you did 2011 or less according to Director Allan Patton.

All civic government in this area seems bent on holding the line and getting tax increases as close to ‘0’ as possible.

Last night about 20 rural taxpayers attended a well advertised meeting with RDOS staff and Director Patton to review budget details for the 2012 tax year.

Patton told ODN he was impressed as to the attendance when compared to previous open meetings. Some taxpayers indicated that the tax requisition should not dip below previous and Patton says rural projects could use that extra money. The proposed budget sheet indicated a decline in the requisition by 1.67%.

The main reason for a cut in taxes is in the sizeable reduction in 911 emergency call services costs – down almost $18 thousand. General government costs are down another $10 thousand with cost shifting to areas doing more work and projects supervised by administrative staff in Penticton.

Off setting those declines is an increase in Rural admin costs (Area C) in the order of $28 thousand. More dips in funding to the Parks and Recreation account for the 1.67% cut overall.

Ken Oldfield, representing the Oliver/OsoyoosWine Association requested an increase in rural funding of tourism. Director Patton says there is renewed interest in a Wine Village and he will wait to see where that initiative takes us all.

Some interest in better communications of facts/figures and issues. Patton says he will attempt to use local media more to get the word out. He says the RDOS web site contains a lot of useful information if the public cares to access it.

The rural area will pay:

$412499 for parks and recreation

$301405 for governance including planning and 911 calls

$50700 for Heritage (Museum and Archives)

$10400 Tourism

$23712 Frank Venables Auditorium

$31566 Rural projects including Sign and Address changes

Average tax rate for 2012 1.86 per thousand down from 1.91 in 2011 Average tax per property $460 down from $473 in 2011.

Area C pays about 9.2 percent of the total RDOS budget compared with Area A Osoyoos which pays about 6.96%. Both the Town and rural area of Oliver pay more than Osoyoos because of joint services agreements for tourism, parks and heritage.