While the following example is but a small component of the factors to be considered in the amalgamation-unification debate here is a simple comparison of the 2013 tax bill of my property had it been located in Vernon and the actual bill I received from Coldstream.
Anyone can do the comparisons using their own assessment figures. Just click on the links below and you will get the property tax estimators developed by Councillor Spiers for Coldstream and the official tax estimator provided by the city of Vernon. Just type in the appropriate 2013 land values in both the 2012 and 2013 estimator. Do the same with the improvement figures and you will have the estimated taxes for Coldstream
Do the same with the Vernon tax estimator and you will get the figures you would be paying to Vernon had your property been located in the city.
Now you can compare the difference between the tax loads of the two jurisdictions. In the actual example provided below the total tax bill difference is $288.85 or 10.2%. The Municipal tax difference is the more revealing: the Vernon tax bill is $327.45 or 31.7% higher than that of Coldstream's.
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5 comments:
Spiers is the spelling of my name.
Also $2811.27 is your tax bill but the calculator will show less because you must leave off the 19.94 for recycling. In Vernon that is on my utility bill.
$2791.33 is your tax comparision figure you should use.
My humble apologies for misspelling your name. As for the additional 19.94 it's an additional benefit for Coldstream. However, since it must be charged to all household, it should be considered a tax.
Yes, we will get hosed if joined up with Vernon and they are the ones who will benefit. We pay our share & then some for health, education, etc. etc. plus our own amenities. Wonder what the pro-amalgamationists are really after? Do not believe they care a hoot for the rest of us 'paying too much' somewhere in there they stand to benefit personally. IMO
Some days ago some called CBC's Daybreak South with their take on Amalgamation. They stated that for years Vernon had a Mayor that didn't raise taxes in anticipation of infrastructure upgrades.
So, looks like we're the Golden Goose...
ps Coldstream may pay less taxes, but Vernon should appreciate the shopping/services dollars Coldstreamers put in their coffers.
Thank you Gyula- I'm sure no one has ever spelt your name wrong...
The TOTAL tax bill on my house in 2013, would be 10 % more, than what I pay in Coldstream, if I lived in a house with the exact same assessed value but located in the city of Vernon.
Now looking at just the Municipal tax (ie: collected by Coldstream), in 2013, I would be paying 32% more, on that line of the tax bill, if I was paying it to Vernon ( ie: living in the same valued house but located in the city of Vernon).
I think if electors realized that the reason most politicians have remained silent, may be that we have been busy working on 'cooperation' rather than 'amalgamation' or 'unification'. When this campaign kicked off in Sept. Greater Vernon politicians were busy preparing, and going to UBCM ( a very important annual conference, in Vancouver this year, that allows municipalities to meet with provincial ministers and other municipal politicians to discuss issues they have in common). After UBCM we were under the gun, so to speak, to come to final agreement on negotiations regarding the Parks Recreation and Culture function at RDNO - this came down to the wire and represented the culmination of work that has been ongoing since 2007 ( at least). Then there was the evaluation and letting of the contract for the ground prep work for the new College Sports track and complex facility - the culmination of another project that has been in the works since 2007. Now we also have to give input on the new Water Act by Nov. 15th - a minor little thing that could change life as we know it in the Okanagan. The Master Water Plan, if accepted as is by IHA ( I have heard rumour that it has been), coming in at $111 million, will have far reaching repercussions for affordability of life in the Valley, and the economics of Agriculture, the philosophy of food security, and the pressures on the ALR. No cheap ( untreated Agricultural water) will result in no agricultural economy, and pressure to remove unproductive land from the ALR.
Yeah, I guess we should all stop work on anything else and start working on Amalgamation because that will solve all the problems in Greater Vernon.
I would be more than happy to have a thoughtful conversation with any one who wants to discuss the pros and cons logically and honestly.
cooperatively yours,
Maria Besso
Coldstream Councillor
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