NVC approves 7% tax hike in provisional 1992 budget

Expects income decrease for second straight year

A 7% preliminary tax in- crease was adopted by North Vancouver City Council Monday night when it approved the city’s 1992 provisional budget.

By Pamela Lang Contributing Writer

For the second year, the city is projecting a decrease in income from development, showing that the dovsturn in the economy is responsi‘le for lower revenues.

Last year’s city tax increase

‘contained in the 1991 provisional budget was 6.1%. . The 1992 figures project a 7% increase in the tax levy, a 21.6% decrease “1 licences and permits income, aid’ a 2.6% decrease in income from interest and penalties.

The income projections do,

- however, {sow $225,000 in taxes from new ;x-operties, based on a projected $§(6.4 million in new assessments.

' Based on the 1991 budget, and

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SRI AS SS OO NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL

“After this budget analysis, and with more up-to-date information on our revenues, council will try to find ways of reducing the pro- jected tax levy without critically affecting the quality of service,’’ said Mayor Jack Loucks during his annual address.

“A combination of declining revenues and increasing expen- ditures,’’ make a tax levy decrease “exceedingly difficult’? to achieve, “without some drastic revisions to our provisional budget,’’ he add- ed,

The only capital cost identified in the budget is the previously- approved second payrnent toward the acquisition of fire boats for Burrard Inlet, according to Tollstam. ;

The 1991 revised budget shows that the city spent slightly more (0.1%) than what was projected in the base budget (the 1992 provi- sional budget was based on the 1991 base budget).

The biggest difference between

PROJECTED CITY expenditures for 1992 include:

@ Total general government: $5,415,772 (up 3.28% over the 199! base

budget); @ Police: $5,226,545 (up 0.45%);

@ Joint or special expenditures: $3,837,092 (up 4.1%);

@ Fire: $3,790,848 (up 3.1%);

‘@ Engineering, streets and drainage: $2, 231,725 (up 3.24%); @ Engincering refuse: $1,635,976 (up 9. 41%);

@ Recreation and comunity services: $1,471,858 (up 3.22%); @ Debt charge: $846,274 (down 2.47%);

‘@® Development services: $816,548 (down 0.87%);

@ Parking and law enforcen:ent: $376,803 (down 1.78%);

© Grants: $373,834 (up 9.5%);

@ Other protection: $179,540 (down 2.9%); and © Transfer to the general capital fund: $80,600 (down 94.55%).

adjusted for inflation and new programs previously approved by council, the provisional budget shows the ‘‘total base expenditure was 7% over 1991,” according to a Nov. 28 report from city trea- surer-collector A. Kenneth Tollstam.

The provisional budget is an in- terim budget used until council adopts its final revised budget ear- ly next year after reviewing all budget submissions.

the 1991 base and revised budget expenditures is a $3,171,444 trans- fer to the general capita: fund, where only $1,468,002 was pro- vided for in the base budget.

The increase in the refuse costs is due, ia part, to a 30% increase in the recycling budget (from $479,000 to $620,710) to cover the cost of adding a central com- posting program, Tollstam ex- plained.

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& WEST Vancouver home sustained considerable damage Thursday morning after fire broke out in its living room area. West Vancouver Fire Depariment firefighters were called to the 4900- biock of Water Lane at 8:16 a.m. A woman living in the houses managed to eacape to a neighbor’s home without injury. Fire damaged a living room, Kitchen, hallway and upper-floor bedrooms. The cause of the fire is stil! under Investigation.

WV projects $93M for 1992.

Tax increase could range from 5.8% up to 8. 1%

A $93-MILLION provisional 1992 budget was presented Monday night to West Vancouver District Council by Ald. Ron Wood.

The provisional budget allows

the municipality to continue operations until the final annual budget is fully considered and then adopted in the spring; the 1992 version projects a-.tax in- crease for West Vancouver resi- dents of anywhere from 5.8% to

-T%.

Council is speeding up the schedule for budget considerations to allow department heads to manage their resources mere ef- fectively.

“Council hopes to review and approve the base and supplemen- tal budgets by Dec. 31 so that staff have a realistic operating budget for January 1992,’’ Wood said. “‘The capital budget will be reviewed in early 1992.””

In a break from past years, not all supplemental and capital re- quests have been included in this provisional budget.

“It is council’s responsibility to consider and make decisions on these projects, keeping in mind the taxpayers’ ability to pay.” said Wood, inviting any directions and thoughts from interested resi- dents on the projects that are in-

By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer

cluded in the budget.

The advisory finance commis- sion and local ratepayer groups will be asked to review the budget and make their comments.

One of the budget considera- tions touched on by Wood was a proposed expansion of the present recycling program to include composting.

“With the expiry of the outdoor burning bylaw in early 1992, some facilities must be provided for disposal of garden waste,’’ said Wood.

Public input is invited a the Dec. 9 West Vancouver I strict Council meeting, when council will consider municipal utility bylaws.

Wood warned that public con- cern over drinking water, air quai- ity and sewage treatment has prompted the GVRD to propose various programs that will be ultimately reftected in higher utili- ty charges.

WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL ..

In determining budget alloca- tions, some of the priorities will include:

@ a request for additional memo- rial library staff;

@ expansion of arts and culture programs;

@ more recreation facilities.

West Vancouver will examine road maintenance and other infra- structure components, as well as modifying sidewalks and bus stops to allow easier access by the phys- ically challenged.

Major capital facilities proposed for the next 10 years include:

@ the library expansion;

© the seniors’ centre addition;

@ a new western recreation cen- tre;

@ a fifth fire hall.

Council began setting aside money in 1991 to start a capital facilities fund to help finance large capital projects — a practice that the 1992 provisional budget proposes maintaining at last year’s funding level.

Copies of the detailed 1992 provisional budget will be avail- able at the library’s reference department for viewing.