Britannia Beach property tax limits are expected to increase as a result of a decision made by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
This does not mean that taxes will go up — rather, it gives the regional district greater leeway in raising those fees.
The motion, which passed third reading by the regional board at its meeting on Nov. 22, was brought in to create “additional flexibility and ability to increase the limits when tax assessments are increasing without having to go to the [Inspector of Municipalities] for approval.”
The Inspector of Municipalities is a provincial authority that oversees governance over towns, cities, villages and so forth.
Decisions on whether taxes will actually increase will take place during the budgeting process, which is expected to happen in spring next year.
The increased tax limits are as follows.
Water — was $150,000, now is the greater of $187,000 or $1.1479 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Sewer — was $156,250, now is the greater of $195,312 or $1.1957 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Street lighting — was $10,938, now is the greater of $20,000 or $0.1225 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Parks and trails — was $60,000, now is the greater of $75,000 or $0.4593 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The 203 residential properties in the service area are assessed at about $160.8 million.
The three properties classified as a business and “other” are collectively worth about $2.43 million.
Also embedded in this new bylaw is a provision that would tax two properties that were accidentally left out of the service area.
A staff report says that because of a mapping error, two properties have been receiving services without getting charged since 2007.
Each property owner has been informed that starting next year, they will pay fees for services such as water, sewage and street lighting. Charges will not be retroactive. The SLRD estimates that those properties would’ve each paid about $2,500 for those services in 2016.
