With the vote to finally adopt this year’s city budget having been taken, here’s what the municipal portion of 2011 tax bills will look like and the changes compared to last year.
The average home assessed at $157,500 last year saw its value drop 19.4 per cent to $126,945.
As a result of that drop and the way council decided to apportion this year’s tax burden, the general municipal taxes on that home will be reduced $111 to $834.
Debt payment remains unchanged at $22 and transit goes up $2.49 for an overall total reduction of $109 or 10.65 per cent.
At the top end of the scale, a home valued at $304,300 last year and now down to $220,900 (-27.4 per cent) will see its total municipal tax bill drop $226.68 to $1,220.93 (-15.66 per cent).
While on the lower end a home assessed last year at $106,100 now had a valuation of $79,700 (-24.9 per cent). Its total municipal tax bill would be down $112.58 to $710.95 (-13.07 per cent).
The municipal tax totals include the parcel flat tax levied on all residential properties - this year that will be $503.
In addition homeowners will pay the city a flat $62 for refuse collection and $144 for water and sewer services.
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Here are the general municipal tax rates for the various property classes for this year, rounded to two decimal places. The figure is per thousand of assessed value:
Residential: $2.61 plus $503 parcel tax.
Vacant residential: $6.81
Business/Other: $14.75
Recreational/non-profit organization: $16.63
Light industry: $40.82
Utilities: $41.16
Major industry: $90.16
Farm: $147.22
In addition property owners are taxed to pay the city’s debt with rates ranging from 17 cents/thousand for residential to $2.29 for major industry.
And they pay for transit ranging from 46.7 cents/thousand for residential and recreational/non-profit to $1.59 for major and light industry.
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The city is not the only taxing authority that dips into Kitimat property owners’ pockets.
Homeowners, for example, pay 12 cents/thousand to the Kitimat-Stikine regional district, 6 cents/thousand to the Kitimat-Stikine regional hospital district and 6 cents to the North West regional hospital district.