Rossland's Five-Year Financial Plan: be there on March 9 starting at 3:30 PM
By City of Rossland
What Rossland Residents Need to Know About the Five‑Year Financial Plan & Budget
For most Rossland residents, the first question about the City’s new five‑year financial plan is a practical one: what will it cost me?
That question was front and centre on February 17, when the Committee of the Whole began reviewing the Draft 2026–2030 Five‑Year Financial Plan — a continuation of budget discussions that began with earlier public engagement last year.
The plan proposes a 10 % increase in municipal property tax revenue collected by the City in each of the next five years, reflecting rising operating costs, long‑standing infrastructure and maintenance needs, and the risk of higher costs and service disruptions if investment is delayed.
While the financial plan sets direction over five years, Council reviews and approves the City’s budget one year at a time, beginning with the 2026 budget.
For the average assessed home ($625,000), the City estimates the increase in 2026 will total $551.46 across taxes and fees. Of that amount, $213.45 reflects the municipal property‑tax increase — an estimated eight % while the remaining $338.01 comes from parcel taxes and utility and regional charges. Chief Financial Officer Craig McDonald emphasized that these figures are estimates, and that actual totals will vary depending on a property’s existing tax bill and utility usage.
Residents are encouraged to continue the conversation when the second half of the draft financial plan, focused on the capital plan, is reviewed at the next Committee of the Whole meeting on March 9 at 3:30 pm in Council Chambers. This meeting will include opportunities for attendees to ask questions, share perspectives, and engage directly with the Committee to work together to shape Rossland’s financial future.
“I don’t think anyone around this table feels good about these increases,” Mayor Andy Morel said at the February 17 Committee of the Whole meeting. “But the reality is we’re dealing with infrastructure that is decades old, and if we don’t address it now, the costs — financial and environmental — get much worse later.”
Why is the Increase Proposed?
The proposed increases reflect a combination of rising operating costs and the need to invest in critical infrastructure.
Roughly half of the proposed property‑tax increase is intended to address higher operating costs driven by inflationary pressures that affect municipalities differently than households.
“When it comes to municipal government, the inflation rates we’re actually dealing with are much higher than CPI,” Chief Financial Officer Craig McDonald said. “The things we buy — materials, construction, specialized labour — those costs are often two or three times higher than what CPI reflects.”
While consumer inflation has moderated in recent months, the costs associated with maintaining municipal services and infrastructure have not followed the same pattern, limiting the City’s ability to hold increases to inflation alone.
The remaining portion of the proposed increase is directed toward capital projects, including major investments identified in the Utilities Master Plan and the Retaining Walls Report, which aim to address long‑standing infrastructure needs and reduce the risk of more costly failures in the future.
Committee members acknowledged the challenge of balancing these pressures with affordability concerns, particularly for seniors and residents on fixed incomes.
“If we don’t get this balance right, it becomes unaffordable for people to live here — and that’s not acceptable,” Councillor Stewart Spooner said. “We have affordability written into our community values, and we can’t lose sight of that.”
Together, these operating pressures and capital needs shape the City’s five‑year financial approach, with infrastructure investment representing the largest long‑term driver.
Aging Infrastructure is the Central Driver
Much of Rossland’s infrastructure was built decades ago and now requires sustained investment to avoid failure. Rossland’s draft five‑year capital plan totals $60.4 million, with the majority of that investment directed toward essential infrastructure rather than new amenities.
Of that total, $39.1 million is tied to water and sewer projects identified through the Utilities Master Plan, while $10.2 million is dedicated to retaining wall repairs and replacements, several of which have been identified as being in critical condition.
Among the most significant projects is the Warfield Sewer Trunk Replacement, a 3.76‑kilometre sewer line that carries all of Rossland’s wastewater to the treatment facility in Trail.
Another priority is the replacement of a deteriorating retaining wall on McLeod Avenue, identified as structurally critical and necessary to maintain roadway and pedestrian safety.
“If we don’t proceed with these projects, we’re accepting real risk — environmental risk, safety risk, and major financial risk,” McDonald said. “These aren’t nice‑to‑have projects. They’re about keeping the city functioning.”
What Happens Next?
Council will continue its review of the draft five‑year financial plan at the next Committee of the Whole meeting on March 9 at 3:30 pm in Council Chambers, with a focus on the proposed capital plan and updated cost estimates, as part of the process to finalize the plan.
This meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to ask further questions, share perspectives, and better understand the infrastructure projects and funding approach outlined in the plan.
Following this review, the financial plan will proceed through Council’s regular budget and bylaw process, with final adoption expected later this spring.
“These are difficult conversations, but they’re necessary ones,” Mayor Morel said. “We want people asking questions and engaging with this process, because this plan will shape the city for years to come.
[Click to see the 2026-2030 Five-Year Draft Financial Plan]
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FAQs
Q: What is the proposed property tax increase paying for?
A: Roughly half of the proposed property tax increase is intended to cover higher operating costs, including inflation‑driven increases to staffing, materials, and contracted services needed to maintain current service levels.
The other half supports capital investments in essential infrastructure, including water, sewer, and retaining wall projects identified through long‑term planning such as the Utilities Master Plan and the Retaining Walls Report.
Q: How will the capital plan be paid?
A: Rather than relying primarily on taxes, the five‑year capital plan spreads costs across several funding sources. 57% is expected to come from grants, 20% from reserves, 17% from debt, and 7% from property taxes.
Approximately $41 million of planned projects depend on securing grant funding. Projects that do not receive grants will be re-evaluated before proceeding.
The plan also proposes up to $10 million in borrowing beginning in 2027, remaining within both provincial borrowing limits and Council’s internal debt policy.
Q: What does the 2026 Operating Budget look like?
A: The proposed 2026 operating budget totals $11.8 million, a modest increase over 2025’s $11.3 million.
Changes include inflationary adjustments to staffing costs, expanded public engagement and communications, and increased capacity for programs such as FireSmart and spring cleanup, which have seen high participation.
Recreation staffing adjustments are intended to improve access to programming, while wildfire prevention efforts continue to be largely grant‑funded. No major new services are proposed, with the focus remaining on maintaining current service levels while modernizing systems and planning for growth.
Q: Where do your property taxes go?
A common misconception is that all property taxes paid by residents go directly to the City. While the City sets and collects municipal property taxes, it also collects taxes on behalf of other agencies.
Historically, about 54% of a Rossland resident’s total property tax bill stays with the City to fund local services such as road maintenance, snow removal, recreation facilities and programming, planning, and City Hall operations.
The remaining portion is passed through to other authorities, including provincial school taxes, policing, hospital services, fire services, regional district functions, and regional sewer infrastructure.
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The City has a page dedicated to providing information on the 2026-2030 Five Year Financial Plan. Click on the link provided for all updated information:
