Yep increase our taxes by 4.48%, while the inflation rate is 2.5%. This has been going on for too long. We are probably the heaviest taxed city in the province.

Then they have the gall to say they are trying to do their best to cut costs. While they pay good money to hire a air quality fairy..... Did that person do anything other than cost us money?

"We are probably the heaviest taxed city in the province"

Doubtful when you consider than in almost every other city in the Province our size (and even many smaller cities), to find a comparable home to what you have in PG you'd be spending two to three times as much as you would here.

Everyone loves to point to the $250K home and say that in PG you'll spend $2,200 in taxes for that home but in Kelowna or Vancouver it would only be $1,800 or whatever. The thing they miss is that $250K in those cities might not even get you a crack shack.

Let's not talk rates, let's talk about cost of living for a comparable dwelling. I don't know about you, but I'm more than happy paying another $450 a year in property taxes in lieu of an additional in $20-$25K a year in mortgage payments for a similar property elsewhere.

Isn't that how it happens...
they don't want to vote on something because it is controversial so they find a convenient way to be absent?

Doubtful. I don't know what being absent would accomplish. Anyway, it seems we are not alone, nobody commented on the article that stated that Quesnel's tax rate is also going up 4.3%.

You can either live in town and pay the taxes or go live out in the woods somewhere. I'll stay in town for now.

According to the Free Press today, May 12, the residential tax rate for Prince George, which city council approved, is increased by 9.93%. It will now cost you $7.7103 per $1000 of assessed value of your property. With no improvements to my property, my assessed value has increased again, as it has since 2006. Again we are paying for political and bureaucratic incompetence. When will it end?

The way they do the taxes are a bit play on numbers. The provincial government as a service to the municipalities and Regional District determine the value of the property. In terms of levelling out the ratio of total value. Thus it has minor relationship to the commercial selling price, appraisal price, and actual construction costs. It is more a percentage of what the total anticipated value of all the structures and properties of the city or region.

The city knows how much they need to spend. so they take the budget and divide by the total value of the properties to come up with the mill rate of $7.7103 per thousand.

So from year to year the millrate number will fluctuate big. The increase in millrate by 77 cents does not mean that your taxes will automatically be up by 10%. It would be what your assessed value of the property. Thus if the mill rate goes down by 7% and the assessed value went up by 10%, guess what, the total amount your paying is going up. It is pretty much a smoke and mirror set up, to trick the average public..... but hey we on the blog is a bit smarter.

I think in the last three years, the city taxes in general has climbed up about 15%.

So has the city workers recieved a 15% wage increase? has the average taxpayer recieved a 15% wage increase over three years? NOPE, I don't think so. So why is our taxes keep going up. Is the mayor and his council a bunch of softies, that give away everything to every bleeding heart that comes across their floor.

Mr. PG, the city of Quesnel did hold their tax increase last year to Zero. Which I can not understand why we could not.

NMG, can't understand whether you support my statement or denounce it.

43% of our taxes go to pay for policing and fire protection.

If I remember correctly what's been posted here before, those two elements get wage increases above the cost of living.

Good luck in changing that. No one in Canada has won a battle with either of those unions.