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Taxpayers within the Regional District of Central Okanagan are getting a bit of a break.
The RDCO pegged its 2015 operating budget, which includes Municipal Finance Authority financing totals, at just over $59.4 million.
That's $1.7 million below the 2014 budget of $61.1 million.
The decrease is due in large part to cost savings provided through a new 911 service contract and a reduction in costs through participation in the MultiMaterials BC recycling program.
The regional district does not collect taxes directly. It requisitions funds from each local government on behalf of residents and the province, which collects property taxes for electoral area residents.
The regional district provides more than 80 different services across the entire Central Okanagan.
The actual tax rate varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and municipality to municipality, depending on the local services provided by the district.
The member municipalities of Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and West Kelowna receive services such as economic development, regional parks, dog control, 911 and regional rescue.
These services account for a relatively small share (5-6 per cent) of the total tax bill for property owners in those municipalities.
The district is also the local government for residents in the two electoral areas, providing them with services such as planning, four paid-on-call fire departments and six water systems that connect almost 900 properties.
The Westbank First Nation also receives several services from the regional district, such as parks, rescue, economic development and the Okanagan Basin Water Board. Cost sharing for the services is based on the assessed value of properties.
The financial plan provides $4.4-million in various capital projects this year.
The tax impacts on the average home are:
| Member | 15 Assessment | 14 Assessment | Tax per house | Inc/dec |
| Kelowna | $489,000 | $474,000 | $160.17 | $3.83 |
| Peachland | $495,000 | $474,000 | $192.11 | $5.54 |
| Lake Country | $490,000 | $474,000 | $185.71 | $3.70 |
| West Kelowna | $487,000 | $474,000 | $176.04 | $3.57 |
| C.O. West | $457,000 | $474,000 | $466.71 | ($117.90) |
| C.O. East | $482,000 | $474,000 | $432.65 | ($101.43) |
The increases in the regional district portion of taxes for the average property owner in Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and West Kelowna is based on the decision of each municipality to fully fund and participate in the electoral area planning function. As a result, there is a substantial reduction in costs for this service for the average property owner in each of the electoral areas as the municipalities are picking up more of the costs.
With full funding participation, municipal board members will have full voting rights on all land-use planning applications in the electoral areas.
In the two electoral areas, rather than taxation or rate increases, capital upgrades and equipment purchases will be funded by $1.1-million from the federal gas tax.
Just over $499,000 will be spent on facilities and equipment for the four paid-on-call fire departments (Ellison, Joe Rich, North Westside, Wilsons Landing) and almost $385,000 worth of improvements are planned for four water systems (Falcon Ridge, Killiney Beach, Westshore Estates, Trepanier).
The total 2015 RDCO operating budget is $59.4 million.
- 46.46 per cent is operating expenses
- 46.34 per cent is debt ($27.5 million including Municipal Finance Authority payments on behalf of partner municipalities and Okanagan Regional Library)
- 7.2 per cent is transfers to capital and reserves
The regional board also adopted a five-year financial plan for the Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District. Each year, ratepayers within the hospital district contribute 40 per cent of the funds for approved capital and equipment services.
The Regional Hospital District is contributing more than $7.8 million this year toward the new Interior Heart and Surgical Centre (Total CORHD contribution $70.69 million) and $9.6 million this year ($14 million total) to complete the fouth-floor perinatal unit.
In addition, the Hospital District will contribute $3.9 million for other capital projects during 2015 and $1.5 million over the next two years toward the purchase of new equipment to update and increase the testing capacity of the laboratory at Kelowna General Hospital.
The owner of an average home assessed at $489,000 will contribute $173.89 toward capital improvements and new health equipment, an increase of $3.01 from last year.
