A commentary by a Langford city councillor.
Over the past few days, many residents across the Capital Regional District have received their property tax bills. This year, Langford council announced a 15.63 per cent budget increase, or about $327 extra a year for a representative homeowner.
Let’s break down this tax increase and look at how it is necessary to invest back into our community.
First, let’s address a common misconception. Some believe that Langford has historically had low residential property tax increases, supposedly around three per cent.
Provincial data show otherwise. Since 2009, Langford has had only four years with residential tax increases of less than four per cent.
For instance, property taxes on a typical — or “representative” — home in Langford increased by 8.4 per cent in 2021 and 12.3 per cent in 2022 before the current council was elected.
Those increases funded non-essential multimillion-dollar projects like moving hydro poles and purchasing far-flung oceanfront property without due diligence.
In contrast, the recent increases of 12.41 per cent in 2023 and now 15.63 per cent are essential investments. They focus on stabilizing our finances and improving public services.
Despite these recent increases, Langford maintains amongst the lowest property taxes of urban municipalities in the Capital Regional District. We are committed to doing our part in combating the current affordability crisis, balancing keeping Langford competitive and fiscally sustainable.
So where is our money going? More than five per cent of this increase funds public safety. This means hiring more bylaw officials, five more police officers and nine full-time firefighters, as we work toward fully staffing Station Hall 2 in Happy Valley with a full-time crew for the first time.
This not only creates well-paying jobs but also enhances public safety across Langford and the West Shore.
Moreover, we’ve redirected development amenity funds that previously subsidized the wealthiest residents and property owners back into our community.
By investing in safe routes to school, we are prioritizing the needs of our children and those who need it most. This ensures a fairer distribution of property taxes, benefiting all Langford residents.
Now, big box stores and corporate landlords pay their fair share, no longer at your expense.
More than three per cent of the increase goes toward paying off an inherited $10-million debt and starting an asset management program. This prepares our community for inevitable infrastructure repairs, preventing large tax hikes down the road. The rest of the increase addresses inflation, covering wages, contracts and expenses. Our City Hall operates efficiently with no excess, and I believe every dollar of this budget is crucial for investing in our community by maintaining services and improving public safety, and begins to clear millions in debts that have now come due.
Raising taxes is not an easy decision. Politically, it’s never a win. It would be easier to kick the problems down the road for our children to deal with.
However, Langford has critical safety needs and legal obligations that must be met.
While 15.63 per cent makes catchy headlines, reading the full story shows that for the first time, Langford’s financial plan forecasts future tax hikes will decrease over the next five years.
We’ve taken on today’s challenges instead of continuing to push them onto future generations to solve. Thank you for investing in a brighter future for our children.
Now, this is where we need you to help shape the future of Langford. As we rapidly approach 60,000 people, it is clear that what had worked before won’t work now.
We now need to plan and invest in our future. We now need to hear from you, and we now want to see all our residents take ownership, not just envisioning what Langford can become, but getting involved and seeing this through. Check out Letschatlangford.ca to see the proposed, first ever, master plans, learn how to engage in creating them and have your voice heard, while helping to shape Langford into a bright community that is a prosperous place for all of us.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
