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.
Comment:
I attended the meeting on the budget last night and was pleased to see the increase in taxes to be quite manageable. I also heard from the wine industry. Now there is no doubt that the wine industry has put Oliver on the map but I do have difficulty with it being called Agriculture. Since the implementation of the “free trade” agreement the apple industry in the Okanogan has taken a severe blow financially. My impression of agriculture is an industry that grows food that can be consumed by people. The wine industry is strictly an alcohol based industry that grows grapes.
The Okanogan has and always will be a tourist based valley, the wineries for the most part provide a very good food and beverage supply and in a lot of cases accommodation. The motel industry has not progressed in this valley for one very good reason, return on investment. I am not in favor of an industry based taxpayer support. Yes it provides a lot of employment but like most other employment in the valley it is base rate wages with very little benefits or long term employment. No health care plans or pensions.
Our young people in this valley need stable income that pays enough to be able to support a family. Most of the stores that have been opened pay the very basic wages, and import a large portion of their product from off shore manufacturers who also pay very low wages. We are in a catch 22 situation. The tax base if it keeps climbing will drive the younger generation out of the area and it will become either a ghost town or a very high end seniors living area.
As for the Highway 97 we are stuck with a single lane each way for the most part and there is no feasible route for a bypass situation. We will just have to be patient and drive to Penticton to get a 4 lane.