The East Kootenay Regional District Board of Directors has completed the first review of the financial plan and is now seeking public input.

“The public comment period will end before our next board meeting and I encourage all East Kootenay residents to visit the project page, learn more about the draft plan and how it will work. will affect you,” RDEK Chairman of the Board Rob Gay said in an outing.

“The budgeting process begins in September with RDEK staff, and there have been meetings with directors, stakeholders, commissions and more that have helped inform this draft plan. While these meetings will continue over the next few weeks, we also want to hear from the public and hear the community’s opinion on our projects and services and the potential impact on property taxes.

The plan shows how taxpayers’ money is spent on more than 100 services offered in the RDEK.

The proposed budget proposes a 4.6% increase over last year, which equates to about $14 on an average home assessment of $462,000.

“Year after year, this council and our staff work diligently to find a balance between providing quality services to our residents and considering tax impacts. As service level expectations increase and the region continues to grow and evolve, this task becomes much more difficult and I am proud of the balance we have achieved in this year’s draft plan. adds Gay.

“Having public feedback is an important next step in the process and we look forward to gathering their feedback over the coming weeks. »

The financial plan is expected to be adopted at the next RDEK board meeting on March 11.

The public can comment until noon on March 7.

CONTINUED: Financial plan (RDEK)