A reader sends us this heads up:
“This is an added tax that we will be paying for the arena as well as the wellness centre. Osoyoos had an increase of only .26 and I was wondering why our area was so much higher? This increased tax for these buildings was not brought up at the public meeting about the pool. If the tax payers knew of this tax as well as the added tax of the pool it may change their outlook on things to come.” – Sandi
Yes, one wonders how many people know about this. Presumably they’ll see it on their next bill. This being a resource area, are we just a “resource” for Princeton? One might also ask if the taxpayers in that town are paying their fair share, or if they’re only paying the same as us.
This tax puts us on the hook for a lot of money. At $0.53 per $1,000 net taxable value of land and improvements a little house valued at $150,000 would pay almost $80! Add that to $360 for a pool and you get $440. That’s a lot for an old age pensioner. This does indeed change the outlook of things to come.
Did you vote for this? Were you even asked? Let us know about your concerns.
The RDOS web site (see link on the sidebar) has bylaws for download, but for convenience, here is Bylaw 2541 in it’s entirety:
REGIONAL DISTRICT OF OKANAGAN-SIMILKAMEEN
BYLAW NO. 2541, 2010
A bylaw to convert and re-establish the function of an Arena as a Service for the Princeton Arena in the Regional District
WHEREAS by Supplementary Letters Patent dated November 29, 1973, as amended by Supplementary Letters Patent dated June 5, 1975 the Regional District was granted the function of providing and operating an arena within the Regional District with only the Town of Princeton and Electoral Area “H” participating;
AND WHEREAS the Local Government Act authorizes the Regional District Board to convert a function established by supplementary letters patent to a service exercised under the authority of a bylaw establishing the service;
AND WHEREAS the Board wishes to convert the function of acquiring, constructing, operating and maintaining an arena complex to a service for establishing, developing, operating and maintaining the Princeton Arena;
AND WHEREAS the Board has obtained the required consent of at least 2/3 of the participants of the original function;
NOW THEREFORE, the Board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in open meeting assembled enacts as follows:
Section 1 – Citation
1.1 This Bylaw shall be cited as the Princeton Arena Conversion and Service Establishment Bylaw No. 2541, 2010
Section 2 – Conversion and Establishment
2.1 The function of acquiring, developing, operating and maintaining an arena complex in the Regional District, as established by Division XV of Supplementary Letters Patent dated November 29, 1973, and as amended by Supplementary Letters Patent dated June 5, 1975, is converted and established as the Princeton Arena Service.
Section 3 – Scope of Service
3.1 The service established by this bylaw includes:
(a) The acquisition, development, operation and maintenance of land and buildings for an arena complex;
Page 2 of 2
Bylaw No. 2541, 2010
Princeton Arena Conversion and Service Establishment Bylaw
Section 4 – Service Area
4.1 The boundaries of the service area for the service established by this bylaw are the boundaries of Electoral Area ‘H’ (Rural Princeton) and the Town of Princeton.
Section 5 – Participating Areas
5.1 The service area shall include the following participating areas: the Town of Princeton and Electoral Area “H”.
Section 6 – Methods of Cost Recovery
6.1 The annual cost of providing the service shall be recovered by either or both of the following:
(a) The requisition of money to be collected by property value taxes levied on the net tax values of land and improvements in the service area;
(b) Other fees and charges as may be fixed by separate bylaw.
Section 7 – Limit
7.1 The maximum amount that may be requisitioned annually for this service shall be $0.53 per $1,000 net taxable value of land and improvements in the service area.
READ A FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD TIME this 16th day of December, 2010
ELECTORAL AREA DIRECTOR CONSENT OBTAINED this 16th day of December, 2010
TOWN OF PRINCETON CONSENT OBTAINED this 21st day of February, 2011
APPROVED by the INSPECTOR OF MUNICIPALITIES this 16th day of June, 2011.
ADOPTED this 7th day of July, 2011.
Outram Echo 
Bob Sterne
August 1, 2011
Never heard about it, didn’t vote for it!…. I don’t see how Area H continues to get stuck for Princeton’s bills…. THIS HAS TO STOP !!!
Ole Juul
August 2, 2011
> “Osoyoos had an increase of only .26 and I was wondering why our area was so much higher? ”
Area H and Princeton combined has a slightly higher population than Osoyoos, so you would think we would pay less here. Perhaps Osoyoos manages their budgets differently, or maybe they’re just less extravagant.