Revenues and Spending

Where the Money Comes From

Most Canadian cities get the majority of their revenue from service fees and property taxes, as is the case in the City of West Kelowna.

Taxes are collected from various property classes (commercial, industrial, residential, etc.) and the funding is used to: operate and maintain facilities, parks, roads, sidewalks and streetlights; offer programs; provide services like bylaw enforcement, firefighting and policing; and transfer funds to reserves for future capital (infrastructure), equipment and other costs.

Fees for service are collected for providing curbside garbage, recycling and yard waste collection and maintaining, operating and upgrading sanitary sewer and water systems. The city also receives income from building and development permits, fines and penalties, interest and returns on investments; services provided to other communities; and grants from senior governments and agencies.

Where the Money Goes

The City of West Kelowna provides high quality, cost effective community programs and services, such as: aquatic centre, arenas, community centres, economic development, fire protection, parks and trails, policing, roads maintenance, sanitary sewers, street lights, tourism, waste collection, water and more.

A balance must be achieved among the demands for services, the costs of providing them, and the ability to pay through taxation and user fees.

Collections For Other Governments

The organizations and services for which the City of West Kelowna will collect and transfer to:

• BC Assessment Authority
• Provincial School Tax
• Regional Dog Control and Licensing Program, including the Dog Pound
• Regional Hospital District for partial funding of equipment and capital projects including debt to expand Kelowna General Hospital
• Regional Parks expansion and operations
• Regional Recycling Program
• Regional Waste Reduction Office
• Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant on Gellatly Road
• Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre on Asquith Road
• Sterile Insect Release Program