By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: March 14, 2014
When the utility bill makes its way to the Squamish Senior Citizens Home Society, Laura Modray will receive it with a sense of relief and curious anticipation.
This year, Modray knows the bill wouldn’t be as bad as it has been for years because of the new water meters at the housing complex.
For over a decade, Modray, the housing society administrator, has tried to reason with the district about the inherent unfairness of the society’s water and sewer bill.
Small individual units at the seniors housing, no more than 300 square feet, were bring charged at the same rate as big monster homes right across the street.
The combined bill would come to over $50,000, almost ten per cent of the budget.
Last year, however, the district agreed to install water meters at the seniors housing society.
“We are going to save a lot of money,” said Modray.
“I’m quite hopeful the cost of water will be cut into half.”
While water meters may save the seniors housing money, that won’t be the case for the rest of Squamish.
Squamish council voted in March to increase the water and sewer rates by 10 per cent.
With the 10 per cent increase, a home owner will now pay $351, a difference of 32 dollars compared to last year.
The secondary suite owners will shell out $280, an increase of $25 compared to last year.
It’s the same story with the sewer rates, an increase of 10 per cent.
The rate for a single family dwelling will increase to $489.95, a difference of $44 compared to last year.
To meet its infrastructure needs, Squamish plans to increase sewer and water rates to increase revenue by 65 per cent to meet its infrastructure needs.
The five-year plan proposes an increase of 10 per cent in sewer rates, and another 15 per cent increase in 2015.
As for property taxes, the change is 5.14 per cent.
At a recent budget meeting, the district patted itself on the back for making the tax increase more palatable compared to last year’s tax increase of 11.36 per cent.
But tax reductions, of course, were only possible with the service contractions, from library service to sidewalks and bike lanes.
TJay says
Water and sewer rats aye ?
Jaspera says
No changes administration and management and consultancies? That’s where major savings could be found, but the District and Council still largely ignore, unlike other (even larger) communities.
larry mclennan says
Are these increments going into a restricted fund? ie they can’t be used for any purpose other than S/W improvements? Othewise its just a source of funds going into general revenues and used at ther whim of these individuals. I note that there is no mention of freezing or reducing council wages.
Don Patrick says
Fix the god dam leaks and quit hiding behind the real reason for water rates per household… water in water out…. look at the numbers… we have lots of water and it returns everytime it rains… makes me sick to listen to this bullshit that is beyond the common thinking tax payer. Other water shortage areas do not have the water resourses that Squamish has..everything we have that is good, like hospitals, ambulance service, Police, fire fighters, social services, pharmacare, prisons, legal aid ,parks, conservation, and soon to be hospice, search and rescue and coast guard to be is paid by the governments by tax’s collected…some of this like X-Sporting events should be excluded from medical etc, but then we have mining, LNG , transportation, harvesting of our forests and fishing and other corporations trying to provide tax paying jobs and the idiots of Squamish seem to be against. Where do we think the excess monies is coming from for housing, the kids extra curricular events, sports, family entertainment, vacations, automobiles etc and wellness originates….after we pay our tax’s it is the monies left over. That amount of monies is decreasing because of the self centered decisions and lack of correct information. At the present rate of ignorance, we will be saying good bye to the wellness theory and many good things that people presently consider a routine event. All I can say is wake up and smell the flowers, as I have prepared for this type of change, only hope you have… . Cheers DP
Heather Sidsworth says
Isn’t it time we tapped into the resource of illegal secondary/third suites instead of turning a blind eye and letting the single family homes support these income generating properties?