Know before you go, follow these helpful steps to pay 2021 West Kelowna property taxes and avoid lines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic not quite past us, and Home Owner Grants now being claimed through the Province of BC, the City of West Kelowna encourages you to avoid in-person lines and to pay your 2021 property taxes online instead of coming to Municipal Hall.

West Kelowna 2021 property tax notices were sent in the mail Friday, May 21 and payments are due before 4:30 p.m. July 2. Avoid a 10 per cent penalty by paying taxes and claiming your Home Owner Grant before the deadline.

New for 2021! If you are eligible for the Home Owner Grant, claim it through the Province of BC, in one of two ways:

• Visit www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant; or,
• Call 1-888-355-2700.

Remember to record your confirmation number and transaction date after you claim the Home Owner Grant. The provincial government will send grant confirmation information to the City, so you do not need to follow up with Property Tax staff at the City once you have your confirmation number from the Province.

Before you go to Municipal Hall, you should know that it is easiest to pay property taxes online through your financial institution:

• Search for the Payee using WEST KELOWNA;
• Select TAXES;
• Put in your account number with no dashes, spaces or periods; and,
• Record the payment confirmation number and date.

If you are unable or prefer not to pay online through your bank, make your payment by cheque and place it in an envelope, along with the remittance stub from your tax notice, and deposit it in the drop box, which is open around the clock and located next to the main entrance at Municipal Hall at 2760 Cameron Road. If paying by cheque:

• Make payable to the City of West Kelowna; and,
• Include your roll number in the memo line; remit with the payment stub.

If submitting the cheque by mail, send care of Taxes, City of West Kelowna, 2760 Cameron Road, West Kelowna, BC V1Z 2T6; allow enough time for mail delivery as we must receive payment at Municipal Hall by 4:30 p.m. July 2 to avoid penalty. Postmarks are not considered payment dates; and consider that Canada Day, July 1, is a holiday and may delay delivery times.

If you must pay in person, here are some things you need to know:

• Masks are mandatory inside Municipal Hall for the safety of customers and staff; if you are medically exempt from wearing a mask, please pay online or by cheque using the drop box.
• Expect lines, and be prepared for weather and wait times, as only two customers can be at Municipal Hall cash wickets at one time and staff must sanitize stations between serving each customer.
• Payment options are cheque, money order or debit card.
• We can accept cash; however, we ask that you consider all other methods first, as cash is unsanitary.
• Credit cards are not accepted, but you can research third party services that offer payment by debit or credit card, for a fee. Plastiq and PaySimply are examples.

Call volumes are extremely high this time of year. If you need to reach us, we recommend e-mailing us at taxes@westkelownacity.ca; include your account number and property tax address and a brief description of your inquiry.

About 2021 property taxes; investing in our community for a brighter tomorrow

The 2021 Budget invests in infrastructure and reflects the urban service levels that the community expects and the amenities and programs that attract residents to live, work and play in our beautiful city. The 2021 Budget and Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw includes a 3.05 per cent tax increase, plus a one per cent Infrastructure Levy. The total 4.05 per cent increase will result in an additional $84.00 per household over 2020 taxes based on an average assessed value of $655,470. The tax portion of the budget is approximately 40 per cent, or $36.6 million, with the remainder coming from user fees and levies for solid waste, water and sewer and school district and other government services.

The municipal tax portion of the budget provides funding that:

• Invests $24 million in infrastructure, not including the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant; view list at www.westkelownacity.ca/capitalprojects.
• Cares for more than 100 beaches, parks, sports courts and trails.
• Provides nearly a dozen rec facilities and hundreds of programs that our residents enjoy.
• Maintains a 522-lane-kilometer transportation network that connects our neighbourhoods.
• Operates four fire halls, an RCMP detachment and employs police, firefighters and bylaw officers to keep us safe.
• Supports innovative development and long-term planning initiatives.
• Gives grants to youth sports and clubs and community not-for-profit groups.
• Mitigates against flood and wildfire risks.
• Ensures essential services and virtual connectedness with you during the COVID-19 pandemic