Vernon Matters file photo

By Liam Verster

Parks, Rec & Culture Budget Implications

RDNO cancels park transfer to offset budget increase

Feb 20, 2025 | 12:21 PM

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) will take some pressure off of taxpayers by reducing the amount of money it plans to collect and spend on future park projects for this budget year.

At a board meeting on Wednesday, the RDNO agreed to not transfer any funds from the Parkland Acquisition Reserve in 2025. It had previously planned to transfer $865,000 from the reserve to be used for the purchase of future parkland.

The RDNO has been putting money aside in the reserve ever-increasing amounts since 2020 it first began.

Money from the fund is dispersed annually to community projects such as hiking trails and other nature-related projects. The reserve also funds the purchase and developement of certain parklands and is set to do so for a decade.

The change means the Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture tax requisition for 2025 will be set at $10,348,604.

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This decision is part of the overall budget process and the RDNO will include the park numbers as part of its overall tax strategy for 2025.

Staff have been instructed to make the needed amendments to their Consolidated 2025 Financial Plan document, which will be presented to the Committee of the Whole meeting on Feb. 26.

Without the transfer, the parkland acquisition reserve would be held at $2.2-million, while the parks development cost charges reserve would be $3.3-million.

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