Special Council Budget Meeting - December 10, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2019

Draft 2020 to 2024 Financial Plan Introduced

Council began deliberating the Draft 2020 to 2024 Financial Plan, which includes a proposed 2020 operating budget of $74.7 million, including:

• $10.5 million for water distribution and treatment
• $10.3 million for fire and rescue services
• $8.2 million for arenas, community facilities, parks, pool and recreational programming
• $7 million for sanitary sewer systems
• $6.5 million for policing
• $3.9 million for roads operations and maintenance
• $2.5 million for transit service
• $2.5 million for solid waste collection and recycling services

Council will resume budget deliberations at a Special Meeting in Council Chambers, at West Kelowna Municipal Hall at 2760 Cameron Road, beginning 3 p.m. Monday, December 16.

Tax Increase Scenarios Presented for Consideration

The Draft 2020 Budget proposes three scenarios for Council consideration:

• Increased spending of 6.8%, with 2% offset by growth, for a net tax increase of 4.8% or $96.46 more for the year on the average West Kelowna home valued at $642,582. Last year’s property taxes on the average household were $2,021.17.
• Increased spending of 6.5%, with 2% offset by growth, with a net tax increase of 4.5% or $91.87 more for the year on the average West Kelowna home valued at $642,582.
• Increased spending of 5.8% with 2% offset by growth, with a net tax increase of 3.8% or $76.91 on the average West Kelowna home valued at $642,582.

Council heard that every $330,000 increase in spending equates to a 1% tax increase or $20.23 more for the year on the average West Kelowna home. In order to reduce the tax increase, Council could consider reducing transfers to reserves or rejecting some of the supplemental budget increases for 2020. Due to high volumes of community requests for improved services and mounting infrastructure needs, staff is not recommending any reduction in projects, programs or services.

Supplemental Budget Requests Supported in Principle

Council supported in principle an increase of 7.75 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff positions proposed in the Draft 2020 Budget, and requested further information on one of the positions, which, if approved, would result in a total increase of 8.75 FTE in City staffing in 2020:

• One full-time Cashier/Clerk to handle growth and increased demands for service.
• One full-time Corporate Records Technician to maintain the rising volume of paper and digital records that the City of West Kelowna is required to retain and preserve.
• One Parks Foreman and 2.75 Operators to augment maintenance services after a business case determined it would be more affordable to bring turf mowing services in house.
• One full-time Drainage and Roads Foreman to supervise and coordinate the daily duties of 11 Operators in the department.
• One full-time Geographic Information Systems Coordinator to manage an increasing volume of external requests for maps and open data and the municipality’s growing reliance on digital services such as online map-based asset management and community planning.
• Requested more information regarding one full-time Water Meter Technician to determine utility cost recoveries related to the position.

Council also supported in principle the addition of four summer student positions (beginning of May through end of August) to address community requests for increased weeding, cleanup and other seasonal parks maintenance.