The average homeowner in Williams Lake will be paying about 9 percent more in taxes this year.
While the residential tax rate was reduced by 10 percent, that was more than offset in most cases by the jump in assessments.
Chief Financial Officer Vitali Kozubenko confirms that the average property went up by about 26 percent in Williams Lake.
He says that means if your home went up by more than that, then the tax increase would be higher, and if your home went up be less than 26 percent, the tax increase would be lower.
Kozubenko cites the Mayor’s property as an example.
It went up by 50 percent in assessment, which means that he will be paying 31 percent more in taxes.
He says if your home went up by just 10 percent in value, then you would pay the same tax.
Comparing apples to apples, the City of Quesnel reduced its residential tax rate by 15 percent this year, but taxes are still going up by 6.9 percent.