By Greg Fry

Taxes

City councillor proposes cutting snow removal budget to help lower tax rate

Dec 5, 2025 | 2:16 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — If a staff report to the city of Prince George’s Standing Committee on Finance and Audit is any indication – taxpayers will be on the hook for yet another hefty tax hike next year.

A staff report to the committee says the 2026 taxy levy required to maintain existing service levels is currently estimated at 5.98 per cent.

That doesn’t include what the hike would be if some of the enhancements are adopted – including hiring four more staff members for Police Support Services, a Court Liaison Officer, 12 more firefighters, four more Bylaw Services bylaw officers, a recruitment and retention advisor and another heritage planner. If all of these enhancements were adopted the tax hike would increase from 5.98 per cent to 7.79 per cent.

City Councillor Ron Polillo sits on the committee and would like to shave $3 million out of the budget which he says would bring the tax rate to just under 4 per cent. He says they could cut $1 million by cutting the snow removal budget from $11 to $10 million. Polillo is also proposing cutting into the road and rehab budget and eliminating the Council Contingency fund.

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“We’re going to need to make some tough decisions and have some vigorous debate in order to lower that rate.”

From 2021 to 2025, taxes have increased 25.67 per cent in Prince George which City Councillor Tim Bennett feels is high but actually lower than some comparable municipalities. For example, over the same time period, Chilliwack’s taxes went up 27.46 per cent, Kamloops 33.14 per cent, and Nanaimo 35.89 per cent.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, I don’t think citizens necessarily care if we are one of the lowest compared to peer municipalities. They care that they saw a 25.67 per cent tax increase over the past five years with an additional large tax increase coming.

“Combine that with the risk over the next few years of significant increased taxes due to the hospital tower, we really need to dig deep as a council to try get that number as low as we can.”

Budget talks begin next month.