By Tiffany Goodwein

Projected Vernon tax hike rises

Dec 10, 2019 | 11:29 AM

The tax hike might be greater than first projected for Vernon residents.

Vernon city council has passed a motion at its special budget meeting to add two more full-time firefighters to the budget.

That extra spending will increase the projected 2020 tax hike from 3.35 per cent — to 4.69 per cent.

It would add an extra $11 to the average taxpayer’s tax bill for a total of $69 per household.

Fire chief David Lind called it a “very good budget” for the community, with funding for two new career firefighters, a new fire apparatus , and money for the city’s emergency program.

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“There were two elements: one was a move to promote four members to a junior officer rank of lieutenant, so that has an effect on taxation, and also the hire of two new firefighters has an effect on taxation,” Lind told Vernon Matters.

Lind says the approval of the budget will allow the department to open Fire Station 2 in Okanagan Landing, “pretty much 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

“There will be periods where we need to brown-out under special circumstances, but you’re going to see Fire Station 2 in Okanagan Landing open most of the time with a light force. They’ll be supported by Station 1 (downtown) and also with our auxiliary force that helps strengthen our longer and larger responses,” Lind added.

Council will now be looking for other areas of the budget to trim costs to get the projected tax hike lower.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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