City schedules public meeting to discuss 2024 budget

FORT ST. JOHN B.C. — The City of Fort St. John has begun the process of approving the 2024 budget and has scheduled a public meeting for residents to voice their questions or concerns. 

During February 12th’s meeting, council read the five-year financial plan bylaw for the first time and scheduled a public meeting. 

To align with the provincial government’s Community Charter, council is required to include a five-year financial plan that sets objectives and policies for the municipality relating to its funding sources, distribution of property taxes among all classes, and its use of permissive tax exemptions. 

The plan aims to make the budget more understandable for council and the general public by providing numbers in expense categories, budget summaries and variance analysis. 

Following the public meeting, staff will make any changes if needed, and then the bylaw must be read twice before being adopted.

If no changes are needed after the next two readings, adoption of the bylaw can be expected to take place on March 11th.  

After the budget-related bylaw is adopted in March, the property tax rate bylaw will be implemented in April or May.

The city’s total revenue in 2024 is expected to be $100,139,618. The revenue sources include property taxation, the sale of services, government transfers, interest income and other revenue. 

Property taxes account for the highest source of revenue at 39.6 per cent or $39,127,233.

With an average property value of $341,852, homeowners are expected to pay $1,909 in taxes this year compared to $1,836 in 2023. 

Chief Financial Officer David Joy says he “feels good” about the plan because tax rate increases are much lower than in other municipalities. 

Joy says the plan, so far, is being adopted with no changes from the drafts of the capital and operating budgets presented to council in January. 

Milo MacDonald, the chief administrative officer, says there was little growth in budgets this year for staff and other departments. 

The public meeting discussing the 2024 budget is scheduled for Monday, February 26th, at 6:00 p.m. at city hall in Fort St. John.  

The full financial plan can be viewed below: