May (20.7 MB) - Senior Connector

Page 10Senior Connector www.seniorconnector.comMay 2012Property tax noticesCity TalkCouncillor Nancy BeppleProperty tax notices willbe sent to all Kamloopsresidents in the last weekof May. Property owners,who have not yet receivedtheir property tax notice bythe second week of June,should contact the City ofKamloops Tax Department.Property taxes are due July3, 2012.This year, the averageincrease on property taxeswill be 1.92% compared to2.51% last year. There willalso be increases of 5% toutility services. The totalincrease for an average home(assessed at $344,000) is$85.27: $31.43 for propertytaxes; $25.97 for water,$11.72 for sewer, and $16.15for garbage and utilities.While property taxeshave gone up 1.92%, thecost of running the city hasgone up far more. The basebudget increased 5.63%.For example, this year theRCMP contract increasescost the City an additional848,982. BC Hydro rateswent up 15%. This increasealone cost increased thebudget by $406,000. BCTransit charged the City$651,213 more to maintainthe existing service. Addedto the 5.63% were additionalbudget items of 0.29%. Forexample, the City added5,100 more hours and 1more HandiDart for anadditional cost of $150,000.To help detect leakingwater from our pipes, theCity hired a Leak DetectorTechnician.How is it that the costof running of the city goesup so much more than citytaxes? There are a numberof reasons.First, users pay fees. Forexample, bus riders will payas much as property ownersto fund the new transithours.Second, Kamloopsis growing. Kamloopsis growing: 1.5% of thebudget increase is coveredby a growing tax base. Newresidents and businesses inKamloops help offset thecosts we all pay for services.Third, Kamloops is in astrong financial position.Part of the 2010 surplus wasapplied to this year’s budget.Other internal borrowing(when the city borrowsmoney from its own reserve)was also forgiven. Thisreduced taxes another 2.47%.As a senior, any taxincrease may be difficult.There are a number of waysyour tax bill can be reduced.You are eligible for up to$1045 in grants to offsettheir property taxes of theirprincipal residence. First,the provincial Home OwnerGrant can reduce yourproperty taxes by as muchas $570. In addition, anindividual 65 years or older,or on a disability allowance,or permanently disabledor a veteran is also eligiblefor an Additional HomeOwner Grant up to $275.Finally, as of 2011 there isa Northern and Rural AreaHomeowner Benefit of up to$200 available to Kamloopshomeowners.The Province of BC alsoallows an individual to deferresidential property taxes ifthe individual is 55 years ofage or older, or is a survivingspouse, or is a person withdisabilities as defined in theBC Regulations to the LandDeferment Act. For moreinformation on deferringresidential property taxesgo to the BC Property TaxDeferment Program at www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/individuals/Property_Taxes/Property_Tax_Deferment/ptd.htm.For further informationon your property taxes,contact the City ofKamloops Tax Departmentat (250) 828-3437 (Taxes) orrevenue@kamloops.ca.Nancy Bepple is one of yourcity councilors. She can bereached at (250) 372-1925 ornbepple@kamloops.ca.My five year old son squealed with delightwhen he opened his birthday present from hisgrandmother. It was a water pistol. He promptlyran to the sink to fill it.“Mom,” I said. “I’m surprised at you. Don’t youremember how we used to drive you crazy withwater pistols?”My mom smiled and said, “Yes, I remember.”PatioNow oPeNwith relaxingriver views250-372-1522 • 1502 River StreetReservations AppreciatedCheck our ournew menu featuringFresh Oysters &Seafood!!Proud to Sponsor Hidden HeroesVehicle TheftThe following is part of a series of informational articles aimed at increasing public awareness about the services provided by theKamloops Victim Services Unit.The Unit offers a variety of information and services, at no cost, to any victim or witness of crime or trauma. All Unit membershave received specialized, comprehensive training in victims’ issues, the criminal justice system and crisis intervention techniques. TheUnit is located at the main Police Detachment at 560 Battle Street. Victim Services operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week andmay be accessed by calling 250-828-3223.“Gone in Sixty Seconds” was a movie about the car theft industry that bears some accuracy in its depiction of auto theft.According to the Insurance Corporation of BC, every day in BC, 64 vehicles are stolen, and 136 are broken into. Car thievesprefer older model vehicles because they have few, if any, anti-theft devices. That is why the average age of a vehicle stolen inBC is 11 years old.In the Southern Interior, the favorite target is the Ford F Series trucks, followed by Dodge Ram and the GMC C/Kseries trucks. The Chrysler Caravan/Voyager is in fourth place with the Honda Civic being the fifth most popular car forthieves. Seventy-three per cent of stolen vehicles are used for reckless thrill seeking and many that are recovered are badlydamaged. A further 19% are stolen for profit.To lessen the chances of a vehicle being stolen or broken into, follow these simple strategies.Park in well lit areas, near pedestrian traffic. Avoid parking in dark alleyways or behind fences. Keep the garage dooropener out of sight, and when parking in a “secured” parkade, wait for the gate to close before leaving the area. Keep a sparekey on your person instead of in or on the vehicle.Consider using one of the three anti-theft devices: electronic engine immobilizers, vehicle alarms or mechanical immobilizers.Electronic immobilizers are currently the “best” form of protection. They require a special key or small electronic chip tostart the engine. Passive electronic immobilizers automatically immobilize the vehicle’s engine when the ignition is turnedoff. These immobilizers may qualify for a discount on car insurance.Vehicle alarms draw attention to the vehicle by a series of sirens or other loud annoying noises. The drawback is they havesounded so often that people have become desensitized to them and, as a result, no one pays any attention.Mechanical immobilizers such as steering wheel locks are mainly a visual deterrent. They can be useful if they are usedand not left lying on the backseat.Owners of vehicles that are a popular target for thieves should considering using a combination of anti-theft devices.Mrs. Brown married and had six children. Her husband died.She soon married again and had three more children. Again,her husband died. She remarried again and this time had fourmore children. She finally died. Standing before her coffin,the preacher prayed to the Lord above, thanking Him, for thisloving woman who fulfilled his commandment to “Go forth andmultiply.”In his eulogy, the preacher said, “Lord, they’re finally together.”Leaning over to a neighbor, one mourner quietly asked, “Is hereferring to her first, second or third husband?”The neighbor replied, “I think he’s referring to her legs.”For the hand that rocks the cradle -Is the hand that rules the world~ William Ross WallaceRedevelopment of theKamloops UnitedChurch propertyCongregation membersof Kamloops UnitedChurch will realize soonthe start of the longawaitedconstruction thatwill eventually result inthe offering of affordablehousing in the downtowncore of our city. Stage1 of this reconstructioncommenced on Tuesday,April 10th, immediatelyfollowing the Easterweekend. Many churchmembers, communitymembers, organizations,and businesses have beeninstrumental in participatingin this milestone event. Stage1 entails constructing a newhall, kitchen, and streetlevelentrance to the church.The basement below thepresent sanctuary will alsobe enlarged to accommodatenew space for the KamloopsUnited Church Preschooland to create new meetingrooms to replace thosepresently located in theChristian Education Centre.The church office hasbeen relocated temporarilyto the Christian EducationCentre (CEC). Churchworship services and PITStop will continue to be heldevery Sunday in the CECHall. Stage 1 redevelopmentis expected to be completedin approximately eightmonths.After completion ofStage 1, the demolition ofthe CEC and constructionof Stage 2 is scheduled tobegin. Stage 2 will includea 61-unit affordable andmarket housing complexalong with new offices forchurch staff and new retailspace for the KUC ThriftShop.