It’s official: taxes are going up in Spud Valley.
At a special Committee of the Whole meeting on May 11, Pemberton’s mayor and council approved the Village of Pemberton’s (VOP) 2023-2027 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw, as well as associated tax rate bylaws, allowing the municipality to increase taxes by eight per cent in 2023.
The tax increase works out to about $164,637 in additional revenue for the VOP, and will go towards building up municipal infrastructure reserves.
Property tax notices will be mailed out at the end of the month that will include specific details for each property.
Mayor Mike Richman said he is happy to see municipal staff keeping the operating budget in check so the additional revenue can be used to shore up reserves.
“I am pleased we were able to keep our operation budgets moving forward without an increase and that we were able to dedicate all of our tax increase to reserves for infrastructure. That gives me some confidence, but we’re going to have to continue going down that road,” Richman said.
“I want to continue seeing the council focus on that balance between affordability and protecting ourselves for the future. We have to make sure that we’re not vulnerable to major infrastructure breaks or rising costs that will force us to hit the taxpayers hard at any moment.
“We want to make sure that we’re on a gradual and affordable path that doesn’t leave us vulnerable. And I think this budget sets that course.”
While the eight-per-cent tax increase is notable, it is not out of line with 2023 increases in communities across the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), as local governments across the region grapple with rising inflation. Squamish and Whistler raised taxes by 5.9 and 8.4 per cent this year, respectively.
Pemberton has historically kept its mill rate relatively low compared to neighbouring municipalities in the SLRD, with the average single-family homeowner paying about $1,685 in taxes in 2022, compared to $2,908 in Squamish and $3,867 in Lillooet.
A previous report to Pemberton’s COW noted that the VOP has the fifth lowest taxes of all 161 municipalities in the province, and is similar to the other SLRD communities’ taxation increases.
Projects planned for 2023
The VOP will undertake several large projects in this year’s budget, including a $3.66-million daycare facility expansion expected to be completed by 2024 ($1.6 million will be spent this year, with another million earmarked for 2024).
There is also $2.64 million budgeted for a new amenity building at Den Duyf Park, as well as $2.1 million for sewer and water system upgrades. Upgrades to the water treatment facility make up one of the 2023 budget’s most significant infrastructure improvement projects, with $600,000 earmarked for this year and $7.5 million in 2024.
Pemberton’s Five-Year Financial Plan also outlines a handful of projects the VOP must prioritize in the next few years, such as replacing or expanding municipal hall at an estimated cost of $2 million, and replacing the fire hall for $15 million.
“Many of those projects that are in that five-year plan are identified because they’re top-shelf needs for us, but many of them are also put there because we want to be proactive for grant funding applications,” Richman said.
“The fire hall, municipal hall, the water treatment plant, those are all projects for which we will pursue grant funding. We put an estimated cost on it in the five-year plan.”
Of the longer-term projects, Richman singled out the fire hall replacement as one of the top priorities for the municipality. While the VOP has outgrown its existing municipal hall, it has made use of hotdesking and remote work for employees to stem some of the challenges with space constraints.
According to Richman, a few residents have raised concerns about the tax increase and the rising cost of living in the Pemberton Valley. Still, he believes most people understand the need to shore up infrastructure reserves as the village grows.
“I think many people do recognize that we actually pay some of the lowest taxes in the corridor here,” Richman said.
“I think people understand we’re trying to strike that balance between affordability and setting up the Village for success over time. So there’s definitely some stress around the increase in people feeling the pinch these days, but I think people understand where we’re going with it and the need, and I think they see it as responsible financial management, for the most part.”
