Property taxes are expected to rise in the district of Taylor. Councillors said they are trying to avoid large increases by maintaining last year’s residential rate of 4.1 per cent.
District representatives said the tentative decision was made to help residents manage the average $10 monthly increase on their property tax bill amid other rising costs.
This increase was not driven by the local government’s tax rate but by new assessment values in this year’s BC Assessment report.
“The district’s total taxation base increased by $19.87 million in assessed value, or 8.02 per cent, and the residential taxation class’s assessment increased by 9.87 per cent,” staff explained in a report for councillors on their options.
“I’m more concerned about how much the average person is paying in taxes,” said Mayor Brent Taillefer. Alongside staff and councillors, he calculated the actual difference in cost based on the 2026 assessment values.
A residential property with an assessed value of $300,000 in 2025 is now worth $30,000 more. This increase in value would then be multiplied by the unchanged tax rate of approximately 4.1 per cent to determine the taxes owed.
“If we don’t change the tax rate, the average (resident) is going to pay 10 per cent more in taxes,” continued Taillefer. The property, which was assessed at $330,000 this year, will see $123 of additional taxes owed annually, according to the district’s math.
To balance the stagnant rate for residential properties, councillors want to increase taxes on some non-residential zoning uses – including major industrial, light industrial, and recreation.
These tax hikes are necessary as the assessed value for many of these properties did not see the same almost ten per cent increase as residential owners. Without these increases in industrial and commercial tax rates, the district would face “a greater budget deficit,” staff said in their report.
Based on decisions made at Monday’s meeting, district staff will prepare a “review of the 2026-2030 Financial Plan and 2026 Taxation Rates with recommended changes” ahead of their next meeting on Feb. 17.
Rates will not be official until the balanced report is prepared and reviewed with stakeholders before being passed by district council.
