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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016
The voice of Delta since 1922
Property tax bill up 3.5% SANDOR GYARMATI
s g y a r m a t i @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .c o m
PHOTO BY SANDOR GYARMATI
Mayor Lois Jackson speaks at the annual Mayor’s Economic Breakfast while MLA Scott Hamilton, MP Carla Qualtrough, Delta CAO George Harvie, Shato Holdings president Ron Toigo, Dayhu Group president Paul Tilbury and George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project director Geoff Freer wait to make presentations.
Delta open for business
Mayor tells annual breakfast that municipality ideally suited for investment SANDOR GYARMATI
s g y a r m a t i @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .c o m
Delta is open for business. That was the message delivered by Mayor Lois Jackson at her annual Mayor’s Economic Breakfast at Tsawwassen Springs last Friday. A receptive audience of around 200, including business leaders, politicians and representatives from a variety of groups, attended the event to hear about Delta’s economic incentives and how the commu-
nity is ideally situated for investment. They heard an enthusiastic speech from Jackson as well as several guest speakers who reiterated her message about Delta’s positive climate for business. “We are not standing idle, nor are we standing on our laurels. We are in motion, we are growing. We are evolving and we are committed. We are looking for new innovation and new ideas for doing business with you,” Jackson said.
The six-term mayor cited several projects, including the 37-storey Delta Rise condo development in North Delta and economic incentives to encourage environmental remediation and commercial/industrial development of former landfill sites. Other areas targeted for incentives include the Ladner waterfront as well as the Scott Road and 72nd Avenue corridors. Delta is also embarking on a business sustainability strategy
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and has established a mayor’s standing committee to see it through. Jackson also talked about Delta’s “pay as you go” fiscal policy that will result in the municipality being debt-free in a couple of years. The veteran civic politician said Delta faces challenges, which is why it’s important to be proactive in areas like Terminal 2 and the George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project. ECONOMY: see Page 4
Delta council gave preliminary approval Monday to a 3.5 per cent property tax increase for 2016. In a presentation to council, municipal finance director Karl Preuss explained the increase will mean a $75 hike on the property tax bill for the average home in Delta that had an assessed value of $650,000 last year. Preuss noted the increase is “in line” with other Metro Vancouver municipalities in Karl Preuss that it’s the the mid-range of those other increases. Meanwhile, the utility bill, which covers water, sewer, solid waste and recycling services, will rise $18 this year to an even $1,000. Preuss said Delta still has one of the lowest flat rate utility fees for a single-family home in Metro Vancouver. The 2016 metered water rates are proposed to increase at a similar extent as the flat water fees. Preuss said when property tax and utility bills are combined, the average home will see an overall increase of $93, or three per cent more than 2015. His report to council notes that in 2017 to 2020, property taxes are projected to increase by less than three per cent and flat utility fees for single-family homes are expected to rise by about $35 each year.
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