NALOXONE KITS ON CAMPUS
TODAY’S WEATHER Cloudy, showers High 4 C Low -1 C
IN THE CREASE?
Available to take home from TRU
Dylan Ferguson may start against Canucks Thursday
A3
A21
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
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30 CENTS AT NEWSSTANDS
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NOVEMBER 16, 2017 | Volume 30 No. 137
Property tax hike of about two per cent likely Missed garbage day? There’s an alert for that
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
BACKING THE PACK
Two-year-old Logan Seguin clowns around with Thompson Rivers University mascot Wolfie during the weekend’s U Sports men’s soccer championship at Hillside Stadium. TRU emerged with the bronze medal.
Preliminary numbers suggest Kamloops taxpayers could see a property tax increase of less than one per cent — but in the early stages of budget talks, that number will likely climb. “It’s a fluid number,� Mayor Ken Christian said. “[The] final number is going to come down to decisions we make around here.� Kamloops city council got a look at the 2018 provisional budget on Tuesday at city hall. The first of several budget meetings, it came in advance of public consultation on Nov. 21 at Sandman Centre. City finance director Kathy Humphrey touted “better oversight� by city department managers for offsetting rising costs beyond the city’s control, such as growth and increasing rates, as well as lower debt as reasons the city can look ahead and save money for future asset maintenance. To maintain city operating costs — essentially the status quo at city hall — preliminary data suggest property taxes would rise by .96 per cent. That number comes, however, before council decides on recommendations to set aside funds for future maintenance to Sandman Centre and other
The city’s waste-management department is familiar with a certain phone call. “Most of the time, the conversation goes something like this,� said the city’s streets and environmental services manager Glen Farrow. “‘My garbage was missed. ‘OK, when was your garbage put out?’ ‘Oh, ah.’� A new online initiative by the city aims to remind homeowners of the time and day on which their garbage and recycling is collected. Residents can go online to kamloops.ca/garbage/index.shtmsl, enter their address and set reminders via text message, email, phone call, Outlook, Google calendar or Apple iCal. Users simply select the preferred notification method, along with the day and time on which they would like to be reminded of their respective garbage day. Reminders can be sent out on the day of or day before garbage and recycling collection, The scheduling reminder also includes a search tool for those who are unsure whether an item can be recycled. — Jessica Wallace
city arenas, roads and roofs and for additional police officers. Kamloops RCMP will present to council on that issue later this month. City staff, meanwhile, has recommended council set aside $90,000 for heat exchange equipment at Sandman Centre, $175,000 for arena maintenance, $200,000 for road maintenance and an undetermined amount for roof maintenance to city buildings in coming years. “If you need a new roof, how do you plan to pay for it?� Christian asked. “You’re going to go to the bank and borrow the money or
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you’re going to say I’m going to need a new roof over the next five years, so I’m going to start saving $2,000 a year and I’ll have $10,000 in five years, so those are competing philosophies and we need to sort of sort out that.� If those line items are approved around the horseshoe, residents would see a tax increase of 1.93 per cent, or about $40 for a house assessed at $300,000 in 2018. Supplemental items — a wish list from the community and city departments — could further bump the increase. See PUBLIC, A7
Maurya’s Winter Samosa Special Christmas Special! Lunch Buffet
Weekdays now thru Dec. 23rd Vegetable Samosas 10 Noon for $10! - 2pm
Fine Indian Cuisine
Lunch & Dinner. Dine in or Take Out. Only until November 30, 2017. Tax and gratuity extra.
Enjoy our Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 12-2!
165 6ICTORIA 3TREET s MAURYASFINEINDIANCUISINE COM s Victoria Street • 250-377-4969 • mauryasfineindiancuisine.com