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The 2014 Kamloops Tax Increase Explained...

 

 

A lot of projects got approved today at Kamloops City Council yet the 2% tax increase for 2014 was more in keeping with the historical average. How did this happen?

The list of proposed projects for the supplemental (new projects) budget list was lengthy. Essentially, city staff was able to utilize other funding sources such as gaming revenue, federal gas tax funding, and utility agreement funds.

Out of all the projects, only two did not get funded. One was funds for a mental health outreach nurse. While this is a very worthy cause, council felt this was the responsibility of the provincial government for funding and we did not want those cost "downloaded" on the municipal tax bill. The second was a study for an artificial outdoor skating rink.

This budget, more than other than I have seen in 8 years, has benefitted from a lot of public engagement and a lot of thoughtful discussion.

Andrea Klassen, from Kamloops This Week, has a blow by blow account of the items that got funded and the actions that were taken today.

 

Here also are my annotated sheets: 

 

2014 City of Kamloops budget - supplemental budget items to be funded from taxation.

 

 

 

2014 City of Kamloops budget - supplemental budget items to be funded from sources other than taxation.

Let's Chat About (Almost) Daily Print Media Coverage in Kamloops.....

 

 

I'm hosting a gathering next Wednesday, March 12th 2014, for community members who would like to chat about adding energy to getting a daily newspaper going again in Kamloops. I say "almost" in the title to this post because most daily newspapers seem to miss out one weekend day each week.

I am hosting the gathering at Zak's Coffee on the corner of Fourth Ave and Victoria St from 6pm to 7pm-ish. 

I personally would not invest financially or derive income from a daily newspaper in Kamloops, as long as I sit on city council. This, to me, is a conflict. I simply, as a citizen, wish for the strongest and most vibrant media contingent as possible. I see good journalism as absolutely critical to a good democracy. People need good information. 

I would welcome it if existing media outlets expanded into a daily newspaper. This would probably be the ideal situation because their would be less of a learning curve. But a new media outlet might work as well.

This, and lots lots more, to discuss.