Whitehorse councillors got an earful from residents on the proposed city budget — including increases to taxes and bus fares — at Feb. 10’s city council meeting.
The draft budget, introduced on Jan. 27, proposed raising property taxes by 4.62 per cent (meaning the residential property tax rate would rise to 1.123 per cent, as opposed to 1.076 per cent, where it sits currently). The budget would also increase fees for multiple user groups including transit users.
Julie Frisch told councillors that seniors like herself rely on public transit to get around in the winter, when driving conditions are less than ideal.
“What I like to know is if the proposed fare increase would help sustain free transit for those in need, while also providing more reliable and frequent busses,” said Frisch.
“Now it seems to me that if the increase in bus fares does not create a better transit service, it will result in a decrease rather than an increase in riders.”
Most bus fares and passes, should the budget be adopted, are set to increase. The cash fare will increase to 3.50.
Leander Slykhuis, the owner of Inspired Interiors, asked council to investigate the difference in property taxes between neighbourhoods.
He said his smaller property in the Logan neighbourhood costs him nearly $6,000 a year in taxes, whereas his larger property in Porter Creek costs him $2,100.
“One's a new build, one isn't,” said Slykhuis. “So I suspect, up in Whistle Bend, people are struggling to buy a home, are paying astronomical amounts, whereas people in Riverdale, Porter Creek, Hillcrest, all these older subdivisions, are grossly underpaying.”
Slykhuis’s frustrations were acknowledged by Coun. Lenore Morris.
“This is also one of my pet peeves,” said Morris. “The tax amounts that property owners are paying in Whitehorse is largely dependent on the tax assessment, and those numbers come from the Yukon government.”
Morris explained that YG sets the values of the properties based on their assessments, and the city then collects a certain percentage of those values.
“We levy a certain percentage based on the assessed values, but we don't do it the assessed values ourselves,” said Morris.
Other delegates included Mike McCormick, who asked councillors to “return to basics.”
“My question is, is the city doing everything it can to control its expenses?” asked McCormick. “I understand that the population is growing, I understand there's been inflation, but we're also seeing property tax increases. We're seeing utility increases, we're seeing mandatory recycling fees.”
McCormick said he thinks the city should be fixing roads, maintaining infrastructure and providing basic services.
Property owner Christina Zahar said she will have to increase rents for her tenants if the city goes through with its property tax increase.
“Do not raise my taxes anymore. They're already high enough. Please help me help the people that I am dealing with, the people who have so many difficulties, from the bus fare to buying food to mental health to the stuff that I do for them without any help from any other social services in the city or YTG,” she said.
The city will continue to receive input on its budget as it moves through the bylaw process in the weeks to come. The vote to adopt the budget is scheduled to take place Feb. 24.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
