CASH for your
Direct to Smelter! Precious Metals Recycling Roadshow Returns to Kamloops. This Wednesday & Thursday
Gold, Silver & Coins!
2 DAYS ONLY!
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK TUESDAY
SEE PAGE A12 FOR MORE INFO
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30 CENTS AT NEWSSTANDS
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SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 | Volume 30 No. 109
TEPID START TO STORM’S SEASON
IN THE SWIM TODAY’S WEATHER
Showers High 22 C Low 11 C
Westsyde Pool reopens after two years of work
And coach Patterson is not happy
A3
A25
KAMLOOPS BYELECTION 2017 Saturday, Sept. 30
#Kampaign17 KTW continues a three-part series, having byelection candidates address three areas of concern: crime and policing, taxation and housing. Each issue begins with a story outlining the topic, followed by candidates’ responses, which will be spread out in three editions each week. We continue this week with the second issue — taxation — with the issue of housing slated for the week of Sept. 19. The issue of crime and policing ran last week. That story and candidates’ responses to it — along with all byelection news, can be found online at kamloopsthisweek.com under the Kamloops Byelection tab. Voters go to the polls on Saturday, Sept. 30, to elect a mayor and two councillors.
A taxing situation at city hall ANDREA KLASSEN
STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
Kamloops’ property tax increases in the last decade have outstripped the rate of inflation by more than 50 per cent. The Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator puts the rise in the Consumer Price index since 2007 at about 16 per cent. Property tax increase figures for the past decade show residents pay 26 per cent more in taxes today, when the compounding effect of annual increases is taken into consideration. On average, taxpayers have seen their bills from the city rise by about two per cent each year.
Financial plans prepared for council over the past five years show there are a few consistent “influencers,” as the finance department puts it, contributing to budget increases. Increases to city staff wages and benefits have held on to the No. 1 spot on that list each year since 2013, with hikes ranging from $1.17 million (2013) to a high of $1.57 million in 2015. The city signed a five-year deal with CUPE Local 900 in 2014, which remains in place until the end of 2018, and gave unionized workers a 7.5 per cent raise over the life of the contract. The final two per cent of that
SAHALI MALL
increase will kick in next year. City managers were given a similar pay increase at that time and are also due to see a two per cent wage hike in 2018. Kamloops firefighters will also receive a 2.5 per cent wage hike next year and in 2019. Unlike CUPE and management staffers, firefighter pay is typically tied to what other International Association of Firefighters members make on the Lower Mainland. Increases to the cost of the city’s transit system also remain a constant over the past five years, adding about $270,000 to $305,000 to the budget most years. See PENTICTON, A6
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
PAWSING — FOR A GOOD CAUSE
These two dogs met during Saturday’s annual Scotiabank and BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk, which is the BC SPCA’s signature fundraising event for the year. More photos are online at kamloopsthisweek.com, under the Community tab.
BACK TO WINTER
BLOWOUT SALE SAVE 40-60% CLOTHING • OUTERWEAR GEAR • ACCESSORIES
OPEN SEPT 16 - OCT 1
Purchase your Season Pass in-store.
SunPeaksResort.com/Passes 250.578.5474