The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) and Central Okanagan Regional Hospital District (CORHD) have adopted their 2025-2029 five-year financial plans.
The plan includes a total operating budget of $70.8 million for the organization in 2025, up 7.2 per cent, or $4.8 million, from $66.0 million in 2024.
"This financial plan delivers what matters most to our community鈥攕afety, essential services, and park investments for our rapidly growing region," said Loyal Wooldridge, regional board chair.
Approximately 34.2 million in capital and infrastructure improvements are planned for 2025, mostly through reserves, with grants where available. Projects funded from the Growing Community Fund grant include:
- $4 million for engineering, design, and construction of a new facility for Central Okanagan Search and Rescue;
- $1.05 for advancing the implementation of a curbside food waste collection service;
- $275,000 for playground replacements in Mission Creek and Scotty Creek parks.
Regional districts do not have one tax rate, which means the impact on property owners varies depending on where they live, the services they receive, and the value of their property.
Preliminary average tax impacts for each community within the Central Okanagan are outlined below:
The RDCO does not collect taxes directly but instead requisitions funds from each local government and the province, which collects property taxes in electoral areas.
Residents can expect to receive their tax bill in the mail in June, with property taxes due to the province by July 2. To view a specific breakdown, electoral area residents can search their address in the tax estimator tool on the RDCO website.
The CORHD board's 2025 budget includes $40.3 million in capital project funding requested by Interior Health, of which $25.7 million is for new projects.
This represents a $7.8 million increase from 2024, due largely to the Cottonwoods Long-Term Care project. The $74.75 million development will begin in 2025 and is expected to take four years to complete.
"These investments are crucial for ensuring that our health care facilities are equipped with the latest technology and resources to meet the evolving needs of our growing and aging population,鈥� said Tom Dyas, CORHD chair.
Each year, ratepayers within the Hospital District contribute up to 40 per cent of the funds for approved capital and equipment services.
The cost to Central Okanagan households for 2025 is $19.81 for every $100,000 of assessed value, a 3.2 per cent increase compared to 2024.
Projects funded by the financial plan in 2025 include:
- $19.3 million (total $74.75 million) for the redevelopment of Cottonwoods Long-Term Care;
- $2.2 million (total $6.0 million) for MRI replacement and addition at 麻豆精选 General Hospital;
- $1.7 million for boiler replacement and building automation system upgrades at Brookhaven Care Centre;
- $1.6 million for pharmacy storage system replacement and expansion at 麻豆精选 General Hospital.
