Its good to see conversations happening about our main street.
Taxation is a huge concern. No matter the calculation, the final numbers are what they are. A fact….our personal property taxes went up more than a $1000 in 4 years, +67%. An unexpected $630 of that went towards an Asset Levy added in 2024. Same house, same property, same everything, no utilities, no garbage, no water, no sewer. Its not sustainable. It needs to be addressed. Certainly our earnings did not go up 67% in 4 years. At some point, property taxes will amount to a monthly mortgage payment if continue on this path, and further to try to accommodate the (unofficial) future asset replacement needs of approx. $93million. This is why investing in small business, main street and tourism is so crucial. The investment now will have a huge return in future years.
Building off a comment sent to me regarding my last web article:
The healthier and more successful our business and tourism sectors become, the stronger and more balanced our tax base can be. That means less pressure on residential property taxes, which is so important if we want to keep homeownership and rental housing affordable. Government doesn’t have any money. Its all your money. Some way, somehow the bills for the municipality need to be paid.
Strong businesses, a thriving tourism sector, and responsible municipal spending benefit everyone. That’s the goal!
I’ve been going door to door and speaking with local businesses, and some are struggling. On my own walk along Main Street, I counted ten vacant buildings or storefronts between the Post Office and the Wheel House, including the Miyazaki House. That’s concerning. Empty storefronts don’t encourage confidence or investment, and we need to be doing more to support the businesses we have and attract new ones to come, and to stay.
My recent article suggests pursuing available NDIT funding to help revitalize downtown, reducing the burden on local taxpayers wherever possible. Although NDIT represents a very real and meaningful source of funding, I have been unable to find evidence that the District has pursued these opportunities for downtown revitalization.
Lillooet received $125,000 in provincial funding for a Downtown Vitalization and Infrastructure Plan in 2022–23. Yet completing that plan still remains among the District’s 2026 objectives and the details of that study have not been released. Where does it stand, what has been accomplished, and when will the community see the results?
These are reasonable questions to ask. Property taxes are rising, businesses need support, and we need a practical plan for moving forward. Particularly when we consider the estimated $93 million in municipal asset replacement costs presented to Council in 2023. That’s a substantial future financial responsibility for a small community, and it makes strengthening our commercial tax base, growing tourism and managing municipal spending responsibly more important than ever.
Comments and conversations are always welcome. Please feel free to leave a comment or get in touch with me at camillemac.com
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