The Castlegar and District Rec Commission met this week to look at the 2019 Budget. Area I Director Andy Davidoff was concerned that the taxation levels for his constituents was too high with 10 per cent for the arena service this year. He says the Commission decided to use some funds from reserves to help reduce that number.
“So we’re going to be using $53,000 in the aquatic service from the reserves to pay for pool wall lights, chlorine safety shuts offs, the whippet, which is a pool play structure.”
$40,000 will also be used for arena door replacements and roof upgrades at the Complex.
Davidoff feels dipping into the reserves is beneficial in this situation and says staff we’re okay with the decision as well.
“Instead of offsetting operating expenses, that if we use those reserve funds for capital projects, staff felt more comfortable with that than if we were just using it to offset operating costs.”
The ten per cent increase for Area I residents is now down to just over half that amount. Castlegar Mayor Bruno Tassone says says it also benefits his constituents.
“The City of Castlegar was a 5.89 per cent increase but we’ve reduced it down to roughly 2.1 per cent, which is where we’d like to be.”
Davidoff also provided a grant of $10,000 from his Community Works Fund to help reduce the cost of the Glade Regional Park project.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay Board will still have to give final approval to the Rec Commision’s budget.
