Increases for property taxes and water and sewage usage rates are among items discussed as the City of Nanaimo works toward approving its 2015-19 financial plan.
Brian Clemens, city finance director, made a presentation to council on Monday about the draft budget, which included increases of 7.5 per cent for water usage, five per cent for sewer usage, plus a 1.8-per cent hike for property taxes.
Water treatment and policing costs will be major issues facing council in the five-year plan, according to Clemens. He said the city’s water treatment facility in the south end is projected to begin operations in 2015. The annual operating cost is set at $1.2 million.
The city is authorized to have 140 members at the Nanaimo RCMP detachment and the budget for 2015 is $21.5 million.
Under a plan in 2008, council committed to adding 24 general duty and 10 support staff members over five years. To date, 15 members and eight support staffers have been added.
“The budget this year, the five-year plan this year, has been prepared under different circumstances by the new [officer in charge]. It includes 19 additional RCMP members and three support staff over the five-year term, including three in 2015,” said Clemens.
At a budget meeting Wednesday, council asked staff to come back with a budget with a zero-per cent operational increase and a one-per cent increase in taxation to cover asset management, which pays for infrastructure like storm drains. The budget process must be completed by May. Once that is done, city council will look at a core review of services, according to Mayor Bill McKay.