Delta council at its next regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 2 is to consider the proposed upcoming city budget and property tax increase.
Council recently held a pair of budget workshops that were open to the public but did not get much of an attendance. A third scheduled for municipal hall last week was cancelled.
The City of Delta last month released its proposed property tax increase for 2025, a 4.75 per cent hike in addition to a two per cent Recreation Capital Investment Levy.
The average homeowner in Delta would see a $192 increase in their property taxes for next year. That doesn’t include what other taxing authorities will charge including Metro Vancouver, where the regional board recently approved big hikes.
It also doesn’t include the annual Delta utility bill, which for 2025 the average residential home next year would see their sewer charge increase by about $14 per month. Increases for water and solid waste are anticipated to be $6 and $1 per month respectively.
The report also notes the significant increase in the Metro Vancouver’s sewer levy is mainly attributed to the increased cost of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project.
The city had been undertaking a new, enhanced public consultation process as part of an updated budget process, releasing the 2025 Draft Financial Plan sooner than previous years.
According to the city, the plan proposes continued investments in community infrastructure, with $153.1 million dedicated to new recreation, roads, drainage, parks, sewer and water projects to support Delta’s current and future needs.
One of the major projects funded in the draft 2025 budget is the new Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre. The project includes a new aquatic and fitness centre and redesign of the ball diamonds for a total of $130 million, with $10 million in the 2024 budget, and $60 million in each of 2025 and 2026, the city explains.
As presented to council in early 2024, the city is planning to primarily fund that project by borrowing. The borrowing will be serviced through the Recreation Capital Investment Levy.
Last year, council approved a 7.75 per cent property tax increase that worked out to $204 for the average home for 2024. That increase broke down to 5.75 per cent for city operational services and the two per cent recreation capital investment levy, introduced for the first time as a new charge dedicated to the enhancement of the city’s recreation and public facilities.
In 2023, Delta homeowners saw a 4.9 per cent property tax increase, which worked out to $126 for the average home.
The increase in 2022 was 2.99 per cent, which saw the average home pay $74 more. The year prior, the city’s five-year Financial Plan at the time projected property tax increases from 2022 to 2025 would be between two-to-three per cent annually.
The average increase for homes is calculated as the amount for an average residential home with a change in property value in line with the overall Delta average. That means some homeowners could end up paying even more than the projected average increase if their homes went up even higher in assessed value.
