The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has officially adopted its five-year budget of $27.1 million.
According to the release, rural residential properties in the RDEK can expect to see an average 0.2 per cent decrease in their tax levy, although RDEK Chair Rob Gay notes that this may differ depending on a resident’s exact location.
“Unlike a municipality that has one boundary and one set of taxpayers, different areas of the RDEK require different services and these are paid for only by the taxpayers of each specific service area,” explained Gay in a release. “Residents of the RDEK will be affected differently, depending on the municipality or electoral area in which they live.”
This difference across the region will result in residential properties in the Columbia Valley Subregion to see an average increase of 6.9 per cent due to the new Multi-Use Centre in Invermere and the new Zamboni introduced in the Canal Flats arena.
The new fire protection service for the community of Elko, upgrades made to the water systems in Spur Valley, Edgewater and Windermere as well as the Fernie Servicing and Restructure Project (Phase 1) are all reflected in the new budget. Tax calculations are expected to be completed by early-April when revised assessed values are available for 2015.