Welcome to the end of March, it's Payment due day for the City's Utility billing

The first phase of the City's two pronged approach to collecting taxes from its residents finds its first deadline today, with the City of Prince Rupert's utility bill, those directed towards water, sewer and garbage charges is due by the end of business today.

The Utility bills were sent out to residents in February, reflecting a five percent increase for each service provided, as approved by Council in the final days of 2016.

Three percent of those charges will be put towards regular operations, while two percent is to be set aside for capital renewal of core infrastructure, as we noted back in February, that will make for a sixty dollar increase here at the home office, making for a helpful barometer for readers to gauge the increase across the city.

Still to come is the second wave of municipal taxation and the final verdict on the city's property taxation program for the year, with Council still to approve the Municipal budget by vote, a process that is expected sometime in the next month or so.

The last blue print we had on what to expect when it comes to an increase, was a proposed 1.5 percent rise in the mill rate, with the City putting forward the hopeful theme that not everyone will face an increase.

When the tax bills are mailed out sometime before the start of June, we will all find out together as to who pays more and who gets to save for 2017.

The deadline for payment for the second phase of the tax program will be in early July.

More notes on Civic taxation can be found here, while the archive of recent Budget discussion items can be examined here.