106th Year - Week 15
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
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Council fine tuning budget
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SKIERS SHINE Local cross-country skiers shone at national competition.
SPORTS/A13
PROMOTING DIVERSITY
The Bulkley Valley Concert Association shares the world.
COMMUNITY/A14
POWER OF SIMPLICTY Alexis Puentes receives recognition through simplicity.
OUR TOWN/A15
INSIDE
LETTERS A7 SPORTS A9 COMMUNITY A14 OUR TOWN A15 THREE RIVERS B1 CLASSIFIEDS B4
By Ryan Jensen Smithers/Interior News
Town of Smithers residents and businesses will see a 1.92 per cent increase in their 2013 municipal taxes. For the average Smithers homeowner, this will amount to an increase of about $27 in their combined municipal taxes, while an average business owner will notice an increase of about $77 over their 2012 municipal tax bill. The tax revenue requirements are determined when council decides on their capital and operational priorities for the coming year. “At the end of the day, the resulting tax rates for the town become a product of the decisions council has made, which include municipal tax revenue requirements and allocation of the tax revenue amongst the assessment classes,” Town of Smithers Director of Finance Leslie Ford said. Once it is known how much tax revenue is required to pay for
ongoing levels of services and new initiatives, rates are calculated based on assessment values and how much revenue is to be collected from each of the six assessment classes -– residential, utility, heavy industrial, light industrial, business and not-for-profit. Council adjusted the tax share in 2013 by slightly increasing what the residential class pays while reducing the share the business class pays. “We felt it was a balanced approach and it was the most equitable in terms of distributing the tax increase over the classes,” Bachrach said. “Essentially, the changes in tax share are very modest compared to last year.” In the 2013 budget, council approved a $19.7 million financial plan, with an operating budget of $10.8 million and a capital plan budget of $8.9 million. The Town of Smithers also collects taxes on behalf of other organizations such as the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako and School taxes. The 2013 Town of Smithers budget is expected to be adopted by May 14.
NICE MOVES
Nick Cometa pops a move during the Divas and Friends music and performance fundraiser on Saturday night. For more, see Page A18. Ryan Jensen photo
Province dishes out skill-training cash to NWCC
By Percy N. Hébert Smithers/Interior News
B.C. Premier Christy Clark put smiles on a bunch of faces at Northwest Community College campus in Terrace last Thursday as she announced the provincial government was investing $465,000 for training opportunities in northwest B.C. through NWCC. “The most positive thing we can do to ensure continued prosperity in the northwest is to make sure our training opportunities match industry
needs,” Premier Clark said in a press release. Of the total, $150,000 is making its way to the School of Exploration and Mining at the NWCC campus in Smithers. “We’re delighted by the funding announced for NWCC,” Tlell Glover, Project Administrator with the SEM, said. In addition to supporting NWCC students and their communities, NWCC President Denise Henning also viewed the funding as an investment in the economy of northwest B.C. “These dollars help Northwest Community College ensure northerners are stepping into
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economies in this region with skills that are relevant and responsive to industry needs,” Henning said in a press release. Denis Caron, NWCC Dean of Science, said specific decisions about how funds received will be used will be made in consultation with SEM partners. “It’s too early yet to provide details,” Glover added. The funding is part of a province-wide $7-million, one-time investment aimed at shortterm training geared towards labour market needs of the northwest.