Rossland residents will see a 10 per cent increase on their property tax bills this year.
The City of Rossland has released its draft 2025-2029 Five-Year Financial Plan, which outlines an approach to maintaining and improving essential services, addressing the city’s infrastructure deficit, and ensuring financial sustainability for the future.
The proposed plan includes a 10 per cent tax increase per year for the next five years, with 5 per cent allocated to inflationary pressures and 5 per cent dedicated to infrastructure renewal activities.
For the average Rosslander, this means an increase of $256 in 2025—equivalent to $21.36 per month or just $0.70 per day for the average household.
The city says it has long faced the challenge of underinvestment in core infrastructure.
This financial plan represents a crucial and responsible step forward to ensure core municipal infrastructure—such as roads, water, and sewer systems—is properly maintained and future-proofed.
Mayor Andy Morel says the plan adds a substantial amount of tax investment into infrastructure in the coming years, which requires the city to build up its reserves for capital projects, hence the hefty 10 per cent tax increase.
“We’ve recognized the need to invest in our infrastructure for a while now. The city has been putting funding away for a couple of years, but this year we ran into a substantial increase in the allocation of the tax requisition from the regional district as well.”
Regional District Tax Increases
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) recently approved a 24 per cent increase this year, which translates to approximately $220 per household.
Approximately 70 per cent of this increase is due to major upgrades to the Columbia Pollution Control Centre in Trail—a wastewater treatment facility project that serves the communities of Rossland, Warfield, and Trail.
Morel says the $75 million Columbia Pollution Control Centre upgrade has resulted in a substantial increase to the city’s tax burden for the foreseeable future.
However, he notes that it’s a necessary investment to serve communities for decades to come.
“We needed that project. We were still dumping primary treated wastewater into the Columbia River, and we needed to upgrade that. The project’s been underway for the better part of a year now, and it’ll be a three-year project before it’s fully utilized.
It will be a long-term investment that these communities are making to support cleaner environments and growing populations.”
Each municipality was required to commit one-third of the total project cost, with Rossland’s contribution coming from its tax base.
Long-Term Infrastructure Sustainability
Morel says the Five-Year Financial Plan focuses on intergenerational equity—ensuring today’s challenges are not deferred to future generations.
“The reality is that most communities, including Rossland, are recognizing that investments in infrastructure are not just for emergencies but for when we’re in a position to replace long-outdated infrastructure that is going to fail and no longer serve the community.
We’re behind, and most communities are behind, in recognizing this, so we’re playing catch-up. We have to deal with the hand we’re given now, and supporting these upgrades is critical to the long-term viability of our communities.”
Key Dates for Public Engagement
The City of Rossland encourages residents to stay informed and participate in upcoming discussions:
- April 7, 2025 – First and Second Readings of the Financial Plan Bylaw
- April 22, 2025 – Public Consultation & Third Reading of the Bylaw
- May 5, 2025 – Final Adoption of the Five-Year Financial Plan
For more information and to review the full draft plan, click here.
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