While the District of North Vancouver is raising property taxes by 5.5 per cent this year, some elected officials committed to lower hikes in subsequent years – even if that means cutting service levels for residents.
On Monday, council voted unanimously in favour of the property tax increase.
At the same time, they passed an amendment to include an additional gravel field conversion in the upcoming five-year financial plan without increasing the overall budget.
The 2025 property tax increase represents an estimated additional cost of $152 per average residential home and $264 for the median business property, according to a report from staff.
Staff said that the draft financial plan includes strategies to bring the tax rate down and balance the budget, but that fiscal challenges are expected to continue.
“The tariffs now being imposed by both the U.S. and Canada will only intensify these challenges and investments needed beyond the next five years will require further changes to place the district on a more sustainable financial path,” the staff report reads.
Staff will report back on options for future increases, including potential service reductions, at workshops in July.
Future increases at this level won't be supported, councillor says
During council’s discussion on Monday, Mayor Mike Little lamented the higher-than-average tax increase.
“It’s a number we have to get down,” he said, adding that historically increases have been around three per cent.
“Unfortunately the inflationary environment we’ve been in has pushed us up,” Little said. Rising rates are primarily due to hikes in construction contracts and an increase in protective services, he said.
Little also spoke on the amendment to upgrade an additional gravel field, which came after discussions with community members during a recent workshop.
“This is a recognition that we want to elevate the priority of this,” he said. “We understand the pressure that our sports teams are under to be able to get space.”
Addressing frustrations about the slow pace of adding new fields, Little said it’s only been in recent years that artificial turf has really been pushed for.
Growing up, gravel fields were an acceptable option for him and other active residents in the community, he said.
He described artificial turf as “very well used but expensive,” but said the message from the community was clear that there’s a strong desire to have more updated facilities.
Coun. Catherine Pope said these are very challenging times financially, and questioned funding to the tune of $4.2 million for facility upgrades at Northlands Golf Course, as well as $16 million to upgrade of the district’s vehicle fleet.
Noting that turf field improvements were passed in the 2023 budget, Pope expressed frustration that the current amendment before council wouldn’t see the additional field built until 2027.
“I feel it’s just not good enough,” she said.
Coun. Jim Hanson thanked district staff for their work on the current budget, but said that going forward he would not be supporting tax increases at this level.
Hanson said he wanted property tax increases to be capped at three per cent, or at inflationary levels.
“If cuts are required, so be it,” he said.
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