New Year Marks New Prices, New Services

Tuesday, January 04, 2011 03:58 AM

Prince George, B.C. – Today is the first day back to normal for many folks. With New Year’s day on a Saturday, that meant another long weekend for some.

Today may be the first day to really take stock of some of the changes which took effect on January 1^st. Here are some of the highlights:

As of January 1^st:

1. The amount you pay for water and sewer services in Prince George is now 15% higher. That means, single family residential owners will see an extra $40.42 added to their bill for the flat rate for water, pushing that bill to $309.04. Another $33.08 is added to your sewer bill to push that amount to $253.64.

2. New expanded bus service in Prince George, with changes to the following routes:

· #1 Heritage ‐ one extra trip weekday evenings, with the last bus leaving an hour later at 10:17 p.m.

· #11 Heritage – one extra trip weekday mornings, with the first bus leaving a half hour earlier at 7:00 a.m.

· #5 Victoria/5th ‐ one extra trip weekday mornings, with the last bus leaving a half hour earlier at 7:00 a.m.; one extra trip weekday evenings, with the last bus leaving an hour later 10:14 p.m.

· #55 5th/Victoria – one extra trip weekday evenings

· #16 UNBC/College Heights ‐ one extra trip weekday evenings, with the last bus leaving a half‐hour later at 10:37 p.m.

· #88 Westgate ‐ one extra trip weekday evenings, with the last bus leaving a half‐hour later at 10:37 p.m.

3. B.C. Businesses now pay less in provincial corporate income tax as B.C.’s rate drops to 10% from 10.5%

4. The new Northern and Rural property tax benefit comes into effect. Property owners may qualify for up to $200 in property tax credit if they live outside the 6-0-4 and outside the Victoria Capital region.

5. Changes in your Terasen Gas bill. The Delivery charge per gigajule is up. It is now $3.207 up from $3.145, however, the midstream commodity charge is now $1.324 per GJ down from $1.704 and the Cost of gas is down to $4.568 per GJ from $4.976 The Terasen changes are for inland customers only as rates are different for other regions (i.e. lower mainland, Ft. Nelson, Kootenays, Whistler)

6. Hydro rates. While you can expect a minor rebate from B.C. Hydro in January, February and March to offset the difference between what you were charged for a rate increase last year and what the BCUC finally approved, don’t spend the rebate too quickly. B.C. Hydro is expected to get a 10% increase in rates effective April1st 2011.

Those are the changes already in place, but there is at least one more price boost on the way.

As of January 17^th, Canada Post will add another 2 cents to the cost of mailing a letter to a Canadian destination. That means the price of a stamp for a standard letter will be 59 cents.

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Posted on Tuesday, January 04, 2011 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on January 4 2011 5:22 AM

Another step backwards for the poor working person, I wish I could get a raise to cover all the ever rising taxes and user fees. Hurray for the corporate sector! Bask in your ever increasing wealth on the backs of the working person.

Posted by: BCRacer on January 4 2011 6:50 AM

and Campbell's carbon tax should be due for an increase shortly as well, If I remember right, another 6 cents a liter... and the economists don't think all htese increases will affect teh economy...
I can guarantee it will affect mine!

Posted by: socredible on January 4 2011 8:19 AM

And we still have the HST. Which taxes your spending * now *, at the point of purchase. Whether the money you spend comes from income you've earned, or what you've borrowed and will HAVE TO EARN IN THE FUTURE to repay.

With the average citizen now in hock to the tune of $ 1.40 for every $1.00 he gets in disposable income, is it any wonder the "global" trend is towards 'Consumption Taxes'?

Governments, in conjunction with their "friendly bankers", have found the perfect way to tax what you now have to borrow to continue to live.

A sum that in total, will always be more than what citizens currently have left in disposable income, again in total.

Couple that with all the government regulations dictating how you shall live, and the ever increasing fees and taxes, and most people will have no option other than to pay, or lose everything.

And they can come back and take 'more' anytime they like. It's a near perfect set-up for making you 'serve' your government, and its financial overlords, instead of them serving you.

Posted by: vocer on January 4 2011 8:22 AM

59 CENTS TO MAIL A LETTER FROM VICTORIA TO HALIFAX. MY GOD WHATS THIS WORLD COMING TO..........

I joke of course. that's pretty cheap to send anything anywhere. With the electronic age I'm surprised letters still get mailed

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on January 4 2011 9:13 AM

There goes the few bucks of the just announced new northern home owner grant increase, confiscated by the City...gone in the blink of an eye.

Posted by: forthegoodofmankind on January 4 2011 1:26 PM

acrider54: the corporate sector just got a .5% decrease in their taxes. Whoo hoo; will it cover the increase in property taxes and hydro bills. NO. If you think owning a business is a ticket to "ever increasing wealth" you are sadly mistaken.

We have a business here in PG. While being able to claim back all the tax (HST) is nice, it doesn't cover everything else that businesses pay. Business in PG pays much higher taxes than the residents do and we also get hit with having to pay the HST up front as well as increase in utility rates (hydro, etc.).

I do agree however that these increases are another strike against the working person. Don't forget that it hits businesses too.

Posted by: Palopu on January 4 2011 10:33 PM

Business and Industry pay 55% of the Citys taxes, Property taxes pay 45%.

We now have the Government telling us what kind of lite bulbs we can use in our homes. Where the hell did that come from?? Whats next, are they going to tell us we have to buy bread from the grocery store, because we use to much power if we bake it a home.

How long will we put up with this BS before we tell these running dogs to take a hike.

Posted by: forthegoodofmankind on January 5 2011 11:23 AM

Please note that there are far fewer business properties than residential properties in the City of Prince George so that 55% that business pays comes from fewer businesses. My residence pays approximately $2,800 while my business pays approximately $12,000 and the value on the business property is not quite twice the residential value. That's what I mean by business paying higher taxes than residents do.