By Keith McNeill
Residential tax rates in District of Clearwater are going up nearly four per cent.
During a regular town council meeting held May 15, councillors approved a residential tax rate of 4.71 mils, meaning that a homeowners would pay $471 in taxes to the municipality per $100,000 of assessed value.
This is an increase of 3.9 per cent from the District’s residential tax rate of 4.5328 in 2017. In 2016 Clearwater’s residential tax rate was 4.4223 mils.
READ MORE: Clearwater council approves tax rates for 2018 (Mar. 6, 2018)
A survey in 2017 of residential tax rates in municipalities of comparable populations found Clearwater to be more or less in the middle. Clinton had the highest taxes at 8.9079 mils and Pemberton had the lowest at 2.1269.
Clearwater has nine property classifications for tax purposes, including residential. The tax rates for the other classifications are: utilities, 40.000; supportive housing, 4.7096; major industry, 16.0125; light industry, 16.0125; business and other, 15.4115; forest – managed, 14.1297; recreation and non-profit, 4.7096; and farm, 4.7096.
The municipal lands in Vavenby have a different tax schedule. The tax rate for major industry (the principal use of the land) there is 13.1519.
Tax notices should be in the mail by the end of May. The deadline to pay municipal taxes is the first business day in July.
Also during the May 15 town council meeting, councillors approved a five per cent increase in the water tolls and a 10 per cent increase in the sewer tolls, to come into effect on Oct. 1.
These will amount to an additional $1.25 per month for water and $2.50 per month for sewer.
The increased rates will apply only to those households and businesses served by water and sewer.
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