The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is holding an assent vote (referendum) for all eligible voters in the Electoral Areas C, D, E, F, and G and the District of Sicamous to determine whether to continue funding the services of the Shuswap Watershed Council.
The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) is a collaborative, non-regulatory group that focuses on strategic initiatives to protect, maintain and enhance water quality and to promote safe recreation in the Shuswap. The SWC works alongside organizations that have regulatory roles in managing the Shuswap watershed.
Only voters in those areas can cast a ballot because they are the only areas where taxpayers would be making a financial contribution to the service.
Taxpayers have already been contributing to this service, however, the term expires on December 31, 2023. For the current year, taxpayers paid $9.02 per taxable parcel of land towards the service.
If the voters approve the continuation of the Shuswap Watershed Council, there would no longer be an expiry date for the service.
The CSRD Board has not yet determined if the collection of taxes for this service would be by way of parcel taxes or ad valorem taxes (property value of land and improvements).
- If a parcel tax bylaw is adopted for the collection of taxes, the amount per property is estimated to be $9.55 per year.
- If the taxes are collected by property value (ad valorem), the estimated amount per residential property would be $1.76 per $100,000 of assessed value, or approximately $9.74 per average residential property valued at $553,427.
Voters will be able to cast ballots by mail, at advance polls on Wednesday, August 16 and Monday, August 21 or on General Voting Day set for Saturday, August 26, 2023. Polling stations will be located throughout the region. Eligible voters may cast a ballot at any of the available locations.
More information and a full list of polling stations is available at the Shuswap Watershed Council Referendum 2023 page of the CSRD website, www.csrd.bc.ca
For more information about the activities of the Shuswap Watershed Council, see their website at www.shuswapwater.ca
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