The 2024 budget has been finalized by the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN).

The tax rate per $1,000 for rural property owners has been reduced by 0.6 per cent, and for municipal property owners, it has been reduced by one percent in the major services budget.

After adjusting for the increase in property values, the average rural property owner will see a 1.7 per cent increase in the amount of taxes they have paid now compared to what they paid in 2023.

Similarly, the average municipal taxpayer will see a 1.4 per cent increase. Residential property owners should expect a relatively stable tax bill compared to 2023.

The board reviewed and approved all budgets for minor services. Municipal requisitions may act as a draft in determining municipal tax rates. However, it is crucial to note that the final municipal tax requisitions are adjusted every year based on the final assessments compared to the revised version. The figures for electoral areas include an estimate of the requisition per $1,000 of hospital assessments.

Requisitions are actually the total amount of taxes collected in different jurisdictions and not grants and are only loosely associated with taxes paid for property owners (for example an Area B resident will pay about the same as an Area E resident). The Requisition increase for area E was as a result of the pipeline construction in 2023.

The Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake will receive the budgeted grants in August and have yet recieved the amounts listed. The budgeted grants were as follows: $148,415 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Rural Fire, $230,000 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Arena, $57,500 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Economic Development Officer, $45,000 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Tourism, $30,000 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Medical Attraction and $20,000 in 亚洲天堂 Lake Victim Services which totals to $530,915.

Additionally, RDBN also budgeted grants to societies of: $160,000 for Lakes District Airport Society, $79,000, of which $15,000 was a one-time capital grant to 亚洲天堂 Lake Museum, $282,000 for 亚洲天堂 Lake Public Library, $3,000 to Lakes District Festival Society, and $16,650 to Lakes District Fall Fair Society, totalling $555,650.

All services requisition amounts for Electoral Area B 亚洲天堂 Lake Rural for 2024 were set at $817,485, a 6.9 per cent increase from last year鈥檚 $764,462. Electoral Area E Francois/Ootsa Lake Rural received $1,085,130 for 2024, a 99.7 per cent increase from last year鈥檚 budget of $543,419. The Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake received $391,347 for 2024, a one per cent decrease from last year鈥檚 budget of $395,485.

John Illes, RDBN chief financial officer, pointed out that, 鈥淲e do not have funds in the budget for the agri-pastics amendment. I鈥檒l bring back some information about possible funding measures later.鈥�

Mark Parker, RDBN chairperson asked everyone whether they all agree with the finalized budget and board agreed.