Financial Plan Bylaw No. 1132, 2024 Schedule 'D' - Financial Plan Objectives and Policies

Funding Sources

Objectives

1. The Town of View Royal will be financially sustainable.
2. The Town of View Royal will reduce its use of casino grant funding for delivery of ongoing operational services and focus the casino grant funding priority on acquisition, renewal, or replacement of municipal infrastructure.

Policies

1. The Town of View Royal will examine municipal services to determine the suitability of user fees as the primary source of funding. Property value taxes will fund annual operations that would be difficult or undesirable to fund on a user-pay basis.
2. The Town of View Royal will examine the life cycle costs of all new infrastructure and new services before initiating. Operating, maintenance, and replacement costs for all existing infrastructure will be included in its five year financial plan.
3. Services funded by user fees shall pay an administration fee.

Proposed proportion of total revenue from each source (five-year average)

Distribution of Property Value Taxes

Objectives

1. To ensure property value taxes remain affordable and reasonable for services provided.
2. To maintain consistent tax burden for all property classes.

Policies

1. Regularly review the affordability of property value taxes for each property class relative to other classes.
2. Regularly review and compare the Town of View Royal’s distributions of tax burden relative to other municipalities in the region and historically.

Permissive Tax Exemptions

Objective

To enhance the quality of life (economic, social and cultural) in View Royal by providing financial assistance to organizations that serve this objective.

Policies

1. Eligible organizations include non-profit and charitable or philanthropic organizations, athletic or service clubs or associations and places of worship and care facilities whose use of exempted land and improvements must provide a benefit to the community.
2. Permissive tax exemptions may be provided for land, improvements, or both for a period up to ten years where it is demonstrated that the services or benefits offered to the community are of a similar duration.
3. Council may impose conditions on the exempted land or improvements or both to effect a particular desired outcome deemed to be of benefit to the community.
4. Applications for permissive tax exemptions must be consistent with municipal policies, plans, bylaws and regulations.