It was a tumultuous evening at the Langford City Council chambers on Monday, May 6, as the council unanimously passed the
The endorsement solidified the 15.63 per cent tax increase that the city council approved in March 2024.
A crowd of vocal opponents to the increase made their voices heard as they gathered outside on Goldstream Avenue.
B次元官网网址淭he current council blames the previous council for keeping taxes artificially low. That is incorrect. That is a narrative they are spreading. The previous council fought to keep money in taxpayersB次元官网网址� pockets,B次元官网网址� said Lisa Foxall, an organizer of the protest group.
A decision by the Langford council to stop using the amenities and development fund to offset tax increases was a concern shared by the anti-tax group.
The argument was made that developers in Langford could continue to let developers pay for things like sidewalks as they had done under the previous council, said acting Langford Mayor Keith Yacucha.
B次元官网网址淭o be clear, developers are paying for the sidewalks. These were the amenity funds that were utilized for the sidewalks and those amenity funds were collected from the developers,B次元官网网址� Yacucha said.
At least 30 per cent of people in Langford who do not own property still have needs, and correctly using the amenities fund would inject $6.4 million into the community for future projects.
The 15.63 per cent increase will see community taxpayers pay an extra $80 in taxes on average in 2024.
It is an $81 million budget that addresses many of LangfordB次元官网网址檚 issues. Overall, it is a very strong budget, according to Coun. Mary Wagner. Five new RCMP officers and nine firefighters were hired to accommodate the rapidly growing municipality.
B次元官网网址淲e grow fast here in LangfordB次元官网网址hatB次元官网网址檚 just the way it is,B次元官网网址� Wagner said.
The property tax increase will directly impact residential homeowners, but Langford City Councilor Colby Harder said that some work needed to be done on tax rates for small businesses.
B次元官网网址淟ooking at our tax rates to ensure that weB次元官网网址檙e making competitive rates within the region is going to be a strength and ongoing economic development for continued prosperity,B次元官网网址� Harder said.
Proposing a tax hike of over 15 per cent is not what Coun. Yacucha got into politics for, but the increase was necessary to ensure public safety and provide community services for future generations.
B次元官网网址淲hile it may not be popular, it stems from the dedication to the long-term well-being of Langford,B次元官网网址� Yacucha said.
READ MORE: Inaugural 1-day, 9-team cricket battle for Island Cup lands in Oak Bay
