Council approved 3.88 tax increase for 2026

The Council of the City of Salmon Arm has formally approved a 3.88 per cent tax increase for 2026. The entire budget was prepared by administration, and the two days of debate during the special council meeting on December 15–16 appeared largely symbolic, giving the public the impression that council input currently has significance.

City annually increased property taxes despite that per annual report 2024 hold more than $90 millions in investments.

Investments:

2024

Guaranteed Investment Certificate                                                  $ 3,000,000

MFA Pooled Investment Funds                                                            87,707,072

Debenture Bonds                                                                                    300,000

Less amounts held in trust (Note 17)                                                    (704,233)

In total                                                                                                    $90,302,839

Total remuneration and expenses for council amounted to $333,059, while staff wages and benefits totalled $12,213,319. The highest-paid employee was Chief Administrative Officer Erin Jackson, who earned $209,555, by the report from the year 2024.

https://www.salmonarm.ca/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1263

The 2026 budget prioritizes major infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the Water Pollution Control Centre and upgrades to Lakeshore Road. It also includes proposed spending on a new roundabout near the Uptown McDonald’s, a public rail crossing in Raven, and replacement of the McGuire Lake fountain.

In addition to capital projects, the budget increases staffing costs by converting a part-time technology support role to full-time and adding another bylaw officer, bringing the total to five. While administration notes that bylaw officers must work in pairs, these staffing increases contribute to rising operating costs and, ultimately, higher taxes for residents.

Since 2015, the City of Salmon Arm has hired twenty more full-time employees, demonstrating that an expanding bureaucracy is a significant issue in Canada, including in our town.

For decades, city bureaucrats have raised property taxes annually, placing an increasing burden on household budgets, while failing to deliver essential services such as reliable, healthy drinking water. At the same time, property taxes are directly tied to property assessments, which have doubled over the past five years—further compounding the financial pressure on residents.

www.freeshuswap.com/the-water-issue-insalmon-arm

The recent tax increase raises serious concerns about fiscal responsibility. While residents face rising costs of living, municipal taxes continue to increase, driven in part by expanding administrative costs rather than direct improvements to essential services. Without stronger oversight and accountability, continued tax hikes risk placing an unfair burden on taxpayers while offering little relief or transparency in return.

On top of this, all municipalities, including Salmon Arm, operate within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Indigenous reconciliation, carbon reduction, gender equality, and other social and environmental goals.

https://freeshuswap.com/canadian-politburo/

It looks such a nice plan, if there is not a hidden agenda behind it, and that is a New World Order, which is a centralized world government framework led by unelected United Nations officials, resembling governance models like China’s, where decision-making is concentrated and public accountability is limited.

DB