Photo courtesy of the City of Vernon

By Liam Verster

Mayor opposed

Vernon city council endorses 6.88 per cent budget increase for 2022

Nov 29, 2021 | 7:30 PM

Vernon will be increasing it’s budget by 6.88 per cent in 2022.

City council voted in favour of the hike, which includes supporting the RCMP contract (an increase of 2.32 per cent), the infrastructure levy (1.9 per cent), the operations budget (2.17 per cent) and  service level increases (2.69 per cent).

Council also had the option of including a fire apparatus reserve, bringing the increase up to 7.66 per cent, or deferring the apparatus reserve and the infrastructure levy and bringing the increase down to 4.98 per cent.

The City of Vernon’s proposed tax increase options were Hung up in the Council Chambers during Monday’s budget meeting (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

Council discussed the proposed options during the budget meeting Monday, Nov. 29, during which time administration presented them with the fact that the infrastructure backlog had increased to $130-million.

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It was also noted that the 1.9 per cent infrastructure levy accounts for 33 per cent of the city’s capital for the infrastructure program.

Following the discussions Monday, Councillor Scott Anderson said he would support the 6.88 per cent increase plan, pointing out that the largest chunk is made up by the RCMP pay, which is a one-time expense, and saying investing in infrastructure would be beneficial to the local economy.

“As we’ve heard from administration, a significant amount of it goes back into our local economy, not only directly with contractors and things like that,” said Anderson. “But even when a contractor comes from outside, those people that come with it have to stay somewhere, they have to eat somewhere, and that all goes back into our local economy.”

Anderson added that the city could not continue to keep taxes low based solely on the COVID-19 pandemic, saying there is no end in sight and they need to move forward.

Councillor Kari Gares added to Anderson’s point by saying that no one wants to see taxes go up, but it is a necessity, especially with an infrastructure improvement backlog.

“We have people complaining about our roads and our sewers and the potential for climate change and the impacts of that,” said Gares.

“And the reality is the city, in order for a community to be able to deal with these things, you’re going to need to do taxation increases, and that’s just really the hard reality.”

Councillor Akbal Mund, while also agreeing with Gares and Anderson, added that another nearly half per cent of this proposal would go to support the addition of two firefighters to the Fire Rescue Services.

“So for the safety and security of our community it’s almost three per cent (including RCMP). That’s where some of the cost is, so I can’t argue the 6.88 either,” said Mund.

“And I’ve always been a firm believer in the infrastructure levy, how do we get the infrastructure upgraded? That is a real help. Kudos to the council two councils ago because they instituted it and kept it going.”

Mayor Victor Cumming, however, was not as swayed. He said, alluding to an earlier comment during the public input sessions, that the addition of the infrastructure levy would be mostly felt by those struggling financially, especially renters. However Gares pointed out that the tax increase would only affect new renters, as provincial guidelines only allow for a tax increase of up to 2 per cent for existing renters.

Councillor Kelley Fehr said he had originally been against supporting the levy, but changed his mind when he noted it to be more of a ‘safety budget.’

“I think today what we’re looking at is funding for increased firefighters, addressing RCMP pay, and dealing with flood mitigation or infrastructure repairs, all which are safety items, and I’m in favour of that,” said Fehr.

Councillor Brian Quiring noted that with the increase of Canada’s inflation rate of 3.7 per cent in July to 4.1 per cent in August, it appeared justifiable to vote in favour for the 6.88 increase, though he did note that he would have preferred to see it kept lower.

Cumming added that he agreed with the increases that revolve around safety, including supporting the addition of three support staff to the RCMP and two firefighters to the city’s employ. He also added he supported bolstering the climate change funding to bring in a new communications person to help “because we’re swamped. We’re in this climate change cycle and we’ve had somebody operating seven days a week for months and months and months.”

“So we’re in that cycle. We’ve got a climate change full time staff person, so all these things I’m really comfortable with, I really am.”

However, Cumming still could not be swayed on the infrastructure levy, and during the vote he was the lone vote against the 6.88 per cent tax increase.

==City of Vernon news release Nov. 30, 2021==

VERNON COUNCIL ENDORSES 2022 BUDGET WITH STRONG FOCUS ON COMMUNITY SAFETY

Vernon City Council has debated, amended and endorsed the 2022 budget presented within the 2022 – 2026 Financial Plan, with a total budget increase of 6.88%.

The 2022 budget maintains core municipal services and reaffirms Council’s commitment to community safety and a comprehensive response to climate change.

“The health and safety of our community is paramount,” said Mayor Victor Cumming. “The 2022 budget provides the necessary resources to support the daily efforts of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP and Fire Rescue Services, and maintains essential services our citizens rely upon.”

Police and Fire Services

The overall budget increase of 6.88% includes 2.32% for RCMP services. This follows the ratification of the first negotiated Collective Agreement for RCMP regular members. In 2022, the Agreement will add more than $1 million to the City operating budget to retain all current policing resources. In addition to the Collective Agreement change, Council endorsed the creation of three new support staff positions for the RCMP detachment.

“These positions will add great value to the detachment by reducing administrative tasks for officers and helping to keep boots on the ground in the community,” said Mayor Cumming.

Council also supported the continued implementation of Fire Rescue Services’ Eight Year Strategic Plan, with the addition of two new firefighters in 2022. This follows a challenging fire season in 2021, and three of the past five years. Careful, planned growth of fire resources and thoughtful apparatus renewal is key to a responsive fire service.

Climate action

“The extreme weather and environmental events we’ve witnessed this year have provided stark evidence that we must be fully committed in our response to climate change – both in our emergency response and in our planning and mitigation efforts,” said Mayor Cumming. “These efforts will be realized through the City’s ongoing infrastructure program and the implementation of Vernon’s Climate Action Plan, which was endorsed by Council earlier this year.”

A new position will be created in 2022 to guide the implementation of the Climate Action Plan. This employee will work with all City divisions to find efficiencies and implement strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from City-operated buildings and activities. They will also work with residents to learn about Climate Action and what we can all do to reduce GHGs and increase our resiliency through adaptation.

1.9% infrastructure levy and Capital program

In 2013, Council introduced a cumulative 1.9% infrastructure levy as a 10-year program to provide the necessary funds to repair or replace aging infrastructure and establish a stronger foundation for our community. This program helps fund improvements to municipal roads, storm water and wastewater management systems, public buildings, and parks.

In 2021, the infrastructure levy was paused for one year, in response to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, Council reaffirmed its commitment to the program by re-introducing the levy in 2022.

Vernon’s 2022 Capital program will include more than $18 million in projects. Some of the larger projects include:

Silver Star Road multi-use path (Phase 2) between Pleasant Valley Road and Blackcomb Way – $1.99M
Trenchless storm and culvert rehabilitation – $1.2M
Tronson Road sewer force main replacement – $2.12M
Okanagan Landing sanitary sewer collector pipe installation – $1.06M
Lake access improvements on Okanagan Landing Road, Tronson Road and Lakeshore Road – $880K

Service level increases

Finally, Council approved a small number of service level increases to support municipal operations, including the addition of a communications officer, operating funds to maintain the Civic Memorial Park once construction is complete, enhanced turf cleaning to remove goose droppings at Kin Beach, Polson and Paddlewheel Parks; and provide additional administrative support for the Operations division.

“The last couple years have not been easy and Council fully appreciates the financial pressures many residents and businesses have experienced from a variety of unexpected circumstances,” said Mayor Cumming.

“Many of these pressures have been the result of extreme environmental events. Therefore, we must take the necessary steps to ensure our community is appropriately prepared and positioned to face future events that are sure to test us. These expenditures will help us become stronger and more resilient, adapting as necessary, to continue fostering the development of a growing, diverse, sustainable, and family-oriented community for many years to come.”

The 2022 – 2026 Financial Plan and 2022 budget are available on the City’s website: www.vernon.ca/budgetprocess.