The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has released a breakdown of its 2025-2029 Five-Year Financial Plan, showing projected tax rates and where the regional government will spend those tax dollars.
Board Chair Rob Gay says the RDEK’s tax rates will vary between electoral districts as service levels may differ between regions.
“We have over 100 services and all of those have a defined service area – some large, some small – but that money has to stay within that area. The residents vote to have those services and agree to pay a certain amount through taxes,” said Gay.
Property taxes to the RDEK are paid through the provincial government in rural areas or to the municipal government within incorporated districts and cities, such as Invermere, Sparwood and Cranbrook.
The draft budget proposes a $22 tax increase on average residential properties valued at $596,000, but that may look different for individual service areas.
“For the City of Fernie, their increase on RDEK tax is one dollar, but in Area C, it’s going up by $47. There’s quite a range,” said Gay.
Gay says the RDEK is facing budget strains, much like many other local governments.
“The cost of purchasing has gone up and the cost of services has also gone up,” said Gay.
“The one we have seen the most increase, probably due to the cost of vehicles and gas, is in our solid waste. The cost of contracts for the folks who pick up our garbage has gone up considerably. That has brought a large impact on our budget this year.”
Residents are invited to provide feedback until Monday, March 10.
“We look at every service and we try to be as efficient as we can and we try to see if the demand is even there any more,” said Gay.
“Input from the public will be used to make some decisions on the budget. We really like to hear what the public has to say about our services.”
You can find information on the draft budget and a survey here or at the RDEK’s Cranbrook and Columbia Valley offices.
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