Parksville Council Adopts 2023-2027 Financial Plan Bylaw
May 10, 2023
City of Parksville open Council meetings to discuss the 2023-2027 financial plan have now concluded. Council actively sought input from the community by hosting public meetings in March and April and inviting feedback through an online survey and correspondence.
Each year, the City creates a five-year financial plan which outlines how resources will be allocated to achieve Council’s identified strategic goals and to enable City departments to deliver services to residents in a fiscally responsible manner. Parksville Council sets the rates for property tax and water and sewer services during the annual financial planning process.
The 2023-2027 financial plan, tax rates and utility rates bylaws were given final adoption by Council at the special Council meeting on May 8. These bylaws reflect a 6.8% increase in general municipal property taxes, a 5% increase in metered water and water parcel tax rates, and a 3% increase in sanitary sewer usage and parcel tax rates. For the average residential property, these increases will total about $150 per year.
The general, water and sewer fund financial plans include major and minor capital expenditures of about
$15 million. Some of the 2023 projects are highlighted here:
- Drinking water master plan
- Contribution to the Oceanside track
- Parksville Community Park - gathering plaza, new washroom building, playground resurfacing, sports courts upgrades, and safety and accessibility improvements
- Moss Avenue - replacement of roads, water, sewer, and storm drainage infrastructure
- Infrastructure master plans - water, sewer, storm drainage, and transportation
- Capital asset condition assessments
- Preliminary design for fire hall renovation/addition
- Management plans for ecologically sensitive areas (Parksville Wetlands, Shelly Creek)
- Replacement of two dump trucks and two pickup trucks in operations
- Replacement of three pickup trucks for Parksville Fire Rescue
Council also approved the transfer of $10.1 million, including the $4.789 million received from the province from the new Growing Communities Fund, to reserves for funding future capital projects.
Property tax notices will be mailed to residents and businesses later this month. Property taxes are collected to fund operations, capital and other City service expenditures in 2023 as reflected in the 2023-2027 general fund financial plan.
The due date for property taxes is Tuesday, July 4, 2023, with penalties as follows:
- Regardless of your payment method, payment must be received at the City of Parksville by the due date of Tuesday, July 4, 2023, or be subject to an immediate 5% penalty.
- An additional 5% penalty will be applied to current year property taxes outstanding at the end of business on September 15.
- Penalties are also applied to any unclaimed homeowner grants.
The City’s financial plans referred to above may be viewed on Let’s Talk Parksville. Staff presentations from the public March and April meetings are also available on Let’s Talk Parksville and the meetings are archived on our website through webstreaming.
