Per the requirements set out in B.C.’s Community Charter, the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has announced its board of directors passed the regional district’s latest budget yesterday (March 30) ahead of today’s deadline.
The TNRD provides over 125 services within 10 electoral areas and 11 member municipalities in its newest financial plan, which it categorizes into local, sub-regional, and regional services. These include water and fire protection services, waste management, invasive plant treatment, public libraries, and general government administration. The new budget sees an overall increase in operating expenditures, which the regional district attributed to inflation and increased service levels.
“We have worked in earnest to prepare a budget that is fiscally prudent and sensitive to global economic challenges, while maintaining the ability to deliver services which we are mandated to provide,” said Scott Hildebrand, the TNRD’s chief administrative officer.
“We have also focused on providing budget information to the new board of directors, having held a public workshop during a committee of the whole meeting on January 18 and meeting with a number of directors to go over details line by line.”
While operating expenditures have risen, capital expenditure has modestly decreased due to planned capital expenditure being slightly lower than in the 2022 budget. Despite the higher spending and increased operating costs, the TNRD said that homeowners in many communities could pay less property tax thanks to a combination of factors, including a growing tax base.
Although the total taxation amount collected by the TNRD is $25.1 million this year, which represents a 7.05 percent increase over 2022, the regional district said in its release that many residential landowners can expect to see a smaller increase or slight reduction in property taxes owing.
“We will continue to aim for providing budget direction that meets the needs of residents while focusing on long-term stability,” said Board Chair Barbara Roden, who is also mayor of Ashcroft.
For more information on the TNRD’s 2023-2027 Financial Plan, visit www.tnrd.ca/budget2023.
