Peachland
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APRIL 27, 2012 Peachland, BC Volume 08 | Number 17
2505 INGRAM RD. WEST KELOWNA 2 5 0 . 7 6 8 . 2 9 3 4 • W W W. R E G E N C Y R E S O R T S . C A
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Bluegrass Jam
4205 Gellatly Road West Kelowna, BC 250-707-1815 www.spaatthecove.com
Summerland Bluegrass Group members Walter Kinakin on Dobro, James Lancaster on bass, Bev Allen on guitar/vocal and ‘String Lissy’ Pomeroy on mandolin (shown left to right) entertained a crowd of about 40 people at last Saturday’s spring bluegrass jam that was held at the Peachland United Church. The next jam will be held on May 19. Contributed photo
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250-494-1238
Budget 2012 to include skateboard park 10% off and Thorne Rd. water main extension
Daily Buffet Open 4 - 8 pm daily (Closed Tuesday)
for Peachlander’s with this ad HWY 97
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by Joanne Layh Peachland homeowners can expect a 2.9 per cent increase in their property taxes this year, according to the 2012 budget that is likely to be adopted in the coming weeks. The 2.9 per cent increase includes a 2.4 per cent increase in general municipal property taxes, in addition to increases in policing costs and a $30 hike in the water improvement parcel tax. This year’s dramatic increase in policing costs was caused by Peachland’s population exceeding 5,000 in the 2011 census. The population increase means that the district is now assessed policing costs at a much higher rate and is also obligated to fund other related expenses, including one RCMP support staff member and a portion of prisoner expenses. The budget’s $30 increase in the water improvement parcel tax was approved by council to help tackle the enormous cost of water
capital improvements identified in the water master plan ($44,900,866 over a 17-year period). In total the average household (based on an assessed value of $422,125) will pay $2,949.03 in property taxes this year. Just over 40 per cent of the amount collected will go to other governments, such as the regional district. “I think council has been quite responsible in what it has done,” Councillor Condon said at this week’s committee of the whole meeting. “I think it is a very balanced kind of budget in terms of community needs and it addresses the issues properly that we needed to deal with.” According to the budget, this year the district will use $225,000 from the non-DCC reserve for a skate and bike park. I think this is the right thing to do,” Mayor Fielding said. “I think that the issue of the skateboard park has been haunting us for
years and we keep hearing from children and youth that it is a popular needed facility that we don’t have.” Most members of council were in favour of a skate park, though Councillor Hall suggested that saving the money for a future firehall or getting estimates on other options such as a basketball court would be a better use of the funds. A public open house about the skateboard park will likely take place after designs and other details are further developed. The proposed budget also includes the following capital projects: • Consolidated traffic report for the Princeton corridor; • Road rehabilitation program (paving/repaving, crack sealing, and repairing); • Storm water infrastructure improvements; • A water tank for the dump truck; • Downtown garbage and recycling containers; Continued on page 2
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