Turning on the water tap, flushing the toilet and taking out the garbage and recycling are all going to cost you more in Port Moody next year.
And, if the draft five-year financial plan for the city’s utilities is approved, those services will get even more expensive in future years.
According to the plan that is to be presented to council’s finance committee today (Oct. 18), utility charges for a single-family dwelling will increase 4.11 percent — to $1,494 — next year, then climb to $1,605 in 2024.
By the end of the five-year plan, Port Moody homeowners will be paying $2,065 for utility services like water and sewer, as well as garbage, glass and green waste collection.
The water rate component of the city’s utility charge will increase from $594 for a single-family home this year, to $850 by 2027.
Condo owners who paid $373 this year will be paying $534 in five years. Homes equipped with water meters will see charges increased by 2.02 percent next year.
Another utility, storm drainage, is funded through municipal taxes, but it, too, will increase from $100 per single-family dwelling this year to $165 by 2027.
According to the report, authored by Port Moody’s manager of financial planning Tyson Ganske, the increases are required to cover higher costs for wages and benefits, vehicle charges, insurance and contracted services, as well as outreach and materials to encourage residents to conserve water.
But, he cautioned, the proposed increases could still change, as Metro Vancouver has yet to approve its five-year financial plan for the sewer and drainage services it provides to municipalities in the region, and the city’s projections are based on current figures that go only to 2026.
If approved by the finance committee, the proposed levies will go to council for final adoption by council in November as part of Port Moody’s 2023 fees bylaw.
