Coquitlam residents will pay about $50 extra every year — for the next 15 years — for the cost overruns at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant.
That amount will be tacked on to the next property bill with a 6.83 per cent increase in taxes and utilities, a move that’s expected to get first, second and third bylaw readings when the draft 2025 budget comes before city council on Monday, Dec. 2.
Last month, when department heads went before council with their wish lists, the proposed property and utility rise was pegged at 7.21 per cent compared with this year’s property tax rate of 8.92 per cent.
According to a report that was made public today, Nov. 29, from Michelle Hunt, Coquitlam’s deputy chief administration officer, the “average” home — that is, the combination of all housing types in Coquitlam, for an assessed value of $1.35 million — will pay an additional $301 next year:
- 6.83 per cent more in property taxes
- $175
- 4 per cent more for water
- $27/$16
- 16 per cent more for sewer and drainage
- $101
- of which 10 per cent is for the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant (with the city dipping into its contingency fund to offset an additional 10 per cent for taxpayers)
- 1 per cent more for solid waste
- $4
Coun. Craig Hodge, who is one of two representatives for Coquitlam on the Metro Vancouver board, told the Tri-City News the 15-year levy for the North Shore facility affects all home and business owners in the region (North Shore taxpayers will pay about $590 a year for the next 30 years). That capital project is years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget as Metro Vancouver and Acciona, the builder, continue to fight in court.
“The North Shore facility is needed to meet growth in the region,” Hodge contended, while at Metro’s headquarters on Friday.
“This is a new plant and it has new environmental standards set by the federal government […] We know that the cost of building is increasing, and we’ve got 300 infrastructure projects underway in the region that are delivering clean drinking water and are treating wastewater properly.”
Draft budget
Largely driven by contractural obligations and inflationary impacts, Coquitlam’s draft 2025 budget for operating and capital programs comes in at $711 million, a total of $136 million more than the current financial plan.
Among the goodies in the proposed 2025 budget are:
- four more RCMP members
- in addition to the nine Mounties budgeted in 2024
- a community safety advisor
- but no new bylaw officers
- the advisor will coordinate front-line services around 3030 Gordon Ave., Coquitlam’s homeless shelter
- a building permits plans review
- but no new planning staff
- more money for election administration
- a School District 43 byelection is expected in February 2025
- more money for climate change
- expansion of no/low cost recreation programs
There’s also cash set aside for a legislative services advisor, a senior corporate financial advisor, and a manager of administrative services and the animal shelter.
As well, the city’s tourism program and transit-oriented development application team will be funded through taxation rather than external sources while a one per cent tax increase will go to asset replacement and infrastructure sustainability assessment.
And $401,850 has been allocated from the Casino Community Reserve for signature events such as Festival du Bois, ScotFest BC, Caribbean Days Festival, BC Dumpling Festival, HollyDaze and Fire Festival.
As for capital projects in the 2025–29 financial plan, the city has the following items earmarked:
- contingency funding increase
- $25.9 million
- Strategic Transportation Plan
- $12.5 million
- electric vehicle conversion and chargers
- $3 million
- Local Government Climate Action Program
- $1.2 million
- Poirier administrative building upgrade
- $1 million
- sportsfield strategy (supplementary funding)
- $414,000
- Brunette city lands (interim park)
- $400,000
- Place des Arts amphitheatre removal
- $350,000
- Austin works yard parking lot upgrades
- $350,000
- streetscape enhancement program
- $335,000
- E-Agenda management system
- $300,000
Hodge said he’s eager to keep capital cost down over the next few years given the rising labour and material prices.
Still, as a member of several provincial policing committees, he’s also pleased Coquitlam will soon start a community safety strategy, which will include Coquitlam Fire/Rescue’s new medic response unit.
The 2025 budget must be approved by council by May 15, 2025.
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