Houston Today, March 18, 2015

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NH recruits to Health Centre By Jackie Lieuwen Houston Today

FITTING Job

Jackie Lieuwen/Houston Today

Work BC ran a “Find your fit” event at the Houston Secondary School last Tuesday. Local students toured through the gym, which was packed with displays and activities to help students understand the labour market and learn about the in-demand careers. The event was put on to promote trades and was open to the public after school hours. Above are Bailey and Marli checking out the station on electrical careers.

Northern Health continues recruitment for a Houston doctor with no success. Northern Health Service Administrator Cormac Hikisch says they are changing their recruitment approach to reflect the idea of a Primary Care Home for Houston, where doctors will work within the health centre with other professionals. “It’s a more attractive model for doctors,” he said. The Primary Care Home idea is a recommendation from the Houston Health Service Review that Northern Health completed early-February. Hikisch says they are also working to hire a Northwest recruiter to focus on getting doctors for communities in the northwest like Houston. Finally, they are looking at options for

The committee invites public input about health, safety, community services or education.

recruiting international doctors, who would be tested to ensure their skills are suitable to meet the standards of the B.C. medical system. More directly, Hikisch says Northern Health is meeting with Houston mayor and council on April 24 to discuss a partnership for recruitment. See DOC on Page 3

Regional District forecasts 22 percent budget increase By Flavio Nienow Black Press

Prepare your pockets. Taxation on region-wide services will increase by 15.5 per cent, and regional rural services will increase by 22.4 per cent. The board of directors of the

Regional District of B u l k l e y - N e c h a ko (RDBN) approved a draft of this year’s budget during a meeting on March 12, 2015. “Regional district budgets have not even been a whisper in my community, but it certainly is this year,” said Vanderhoof

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in 2015 for rural taxpayers; and from 0.8 in 2014 to 0.92 in 2015 for municipal taxpayers.

Hans Berndorff, F i n a n c i a l Administrator for the RDBN, explained that the reason tax rates have been kept relatively low over the past years is because the regional district has been relying on surpluses from previous years to lower taxation.

In 2014, the RDBN had a reduction of $452,000 in their surplus, and as a result, taxpayers are paying the price. Smithers mayor Taylor Bachrach said he struggles to accept that the RDBN relies on previous years’ surpluses to fund their current budgets.

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RDBN has been relying on surpluses from previous years to lower tax rates.

mayor Gerry Thiessen. Tax rates for $100,000 residential properties went from 1.03 in 2014 to 1.23

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“It’s difficult to explain that to our constituents,” he said. Bachrach said that although the Town of Smithers has also used surpluses from previous years to lower taxation, the town does not depends on its surpluses. See TAXES on Page 2

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