Taxpayers will see a six per cent increase for sewage collection after City of Powell River council approved a sewage treatment and disposal system bylaw at the regular council meeting on Thursday, December 6.
Finance chair George Doubt said the tax has not been changed since 2016 despite a bylaw stating the city should be increasing the frontage tax rates by two per cent annually.
“This is a six per cent increase to catch us up,” said Doubt.
Councillor Jim Palm said he is not happy about it.
“Where does this come from?” said Palm, “because I haven't seen it for a while and this is something that we've neglected to do for the last couple of years.”
It is something the city should have done and did not, according to acting mayor CaroleAnn Leishman.
“We haven't raised it since 2016, so that's kind of the point,” said Leishman. “We're trying to make up for not having done our due diligence and not having increased it the two per cent we should have over the last few years.”
Outgoing city chief administrative officer Mac Fraser said he attributed the cause as a function of the city having had three chief financial officers (CFO) in the last two years.
“It's an oversight on the staff and we apologize,” said Fraser.
Doubt said he agreed that it could be quite possible that the two per cent annual increase could have been overlooked because of changes with CFOs.
The tax increase of $0.11 per foot frontage comes into effect on January 1, 2019. On a 60-foot lot or less, property owners will pay an extra $6.60; on a 120-foot lot or less the additional amount will be $13.20. Corner lots will be calculated on the basis of the shorter frontage.
