Welcome to the engagement page for the City of Maple Ridge's 2023- 2027 Financial Plan.

Thank you for your feedback

Public feedback on the budget closed on April 14. Thank you to everyone who took time to share your thoughts. The feedback was shared with Council at the April 25 Council meeting. View the report HERE. Council adopted the 2023-2027 Financial Plan on May 9.

Background

Cities are required to adopt a budget each year to identify the costs related to the wide variety of services they provide and how they intend to pay for them. Local governments are not permitted to adopt budgets with a deficit.

Each year’s budget is also part of a five-year financial plan that includes forecasting for future expenditures and revenue. Learn more about this process for 2023.

2023 Budget Approach

The year's draft budget balances affordability with the impact of inflation and the need to establish a strong foundation for the community's future.

The fiscally responsible approach provides for important services and investments in community priorities. such as community safety and infrastructure.

The budget also reduces the impact on taxpayers by seeking out savings and efficiencies, maximizing grants and other revenue, and strategically using reserves.

Factors Affecting the Budget

  • Increasing costs related to contractual commitments, such as labour agreements, the RCMP wage settlement, the E-Comm 911 service, and the library,
  • Inflationary cost increases,
  • Community priorities, including insights from the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey presented to Council earlier this year,
  • Priorities in the 2023-2026 Council Strategic Plan, and
  • Continuing mandate to dedicate a portion of each year’s tax increase to maintaining and replacing infrastructure.

Enhancements: Operating Budget

The budget funds existing services and over $51M in capital works planned for 2023, along with proposed enhancements that focus primarily on improvements to infrastructure and enhancements to City services to meet the needs of the growing community.

Initiatives funded from surplus and reserves (no impact on 2023 taxes) include:

  • Site assessment and preliminary design for a fifth ice sheet.
  • A feasibility study for a new aquatics facility for the community.
  • Leadership summits on climate action, affordable housing and economic development,
  • Strategic communications, marketing and public engagement service enhancements.
  • A market analysis to enhance the retail sector and financial support for the Chamber of Commerce,
  • New community safety initiatives.
  • A sponsorship program to generate revenue for City events and activities.
  • Advancing the City’s reconciliation work with Indigenous partners.

Initiatives and staffing funded through the tax increase include:

  • New City website, improvements in digital outreach to the community and use of technology.
  • Preparing the City for the impacts of climate change.
  • Two additional RCMP constables and civilian RCMP training coordination.
  • Two new bylaw compliance officers conducting year-round park patrols and other bylaw enforcement duties.
  • Increased maintenance of City parks and green spaces including in the town centre.

Capital improvements of over $51 million in 2023 include:

  • Planning for transportation improvements including the Abernethy Way extension, 240 Street bridge crossing of Alouette River.
  • Investments in the active transportation network, including multi-use paths.
  • Amenity improvements at Maple Ridge Park.
  • A new neighbourhood park at Pazarena Place.
  • Planning for Port Haney waterfront improvements, including a multi-use path.
  • Important water and sewer network improvements to support growth.
  • Repaving 15 kilometres of roads around the city.

Property Tax Impact

The 2023 budget is part of a Five-Year Financial Plan the City is required by law to adopt each year. The plan includes specific details for the current year and a guideline for upcoming years.

For 2023, the property tax increase 5.65 per cent. For the average home. valued at $985,700. the tax rate represents a $134.37 increase for 2023 over 2022 for a total of $2512.67. The impact on individual properties will vary based on how much their home's assessed property value on July 1 of 2022 changed relative to the average change for similar homes in Maple Ridge.

It is important to note that these figures only reflect the municipal portion of the property tax bill and do not include funds collected for other levels of government including school taxes as well as provincial and regional fees and levies.

Utility User Fees

In addition, each year’s property tax bill also includes utility charges – flat user fees for recycling, water and sewer services that vary based on property type and service received.

Impact of Assessment on Taxes

A property’s assessed value affects the tax increase it will pay. Each year, B.C. Assessment establishes an assessed value for every property on July 1. Property owners receive their assessments in January.

Last year, residential property values in Maple Ridge increased by an average of 9.2%. If the change in your property’s value was different, your property tax increase will be different than this year’s proposed residential tax increase of 5.65%:

  • If a property’s assessment was lower than 9.32%, its tax increase will be likely less than 5.65%.
  • If a property’s assessment increase was higher than 9.32%, its increase will likely be more than 5.65%.

How We Compare

Based on 2022 data (the most recent year available), Maple Ridge was below average in the region for combined municipal taxes and utilities for single-family detached house.

Level of Engagement - Inform

The engagement for this project is at the "inform" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation. This means that we will provide the public with balanced and objective information on this topic to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives and/or solutions.

Learn more about how we use the Spectrum as a foundation for community engagement here!

Translations

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Please Note: Google Translate is a third-party service and we cannot guarantee the quality or accuracy of the translated content. If you require additional support, email engage@mapleridge.ca.