FAQs

Through the budget preparation process, the FVRD determines how much funding is required to deliver services to its residents and member municipalities.

This total funding amount is provided to the Province of BC, which is responsible for calculating and collecting taxes on behalf of the FVRD. The Province uses a formula, which is based on property assessment data, to determine how much tax each property must pay. BC Assessment determines property values using independent appraisers, and these values are based on property location, size, age and other features such as comparable sales prices and real estate market information.  

What’s unique and confusing for many taxpayers is that no single taxpayer in a regional district will be charged in precisely the same way. This is because it all depends on the services you actually receive from the regional district. Sometimes, properties that are quite close to one another will have different charges on their tax bill. 

Unlike a municipality, not everyone participates in each service. For example, five out of six member municipalities participate in the animal control service. This means that the District of Hope, which does not participate in the service, does not pay into animal control services offered by the FVRD. 

Similarly, an example at the local level would be a neighbourhood in Electoral Area C that has a water or sewer system. Only those properties benefiting from the water or sewer system (or who could benefit) will pay into that service. Therefore, each service must have its own separate budget. Money collected from participants for a specific service can only be used to fund that service. Funds cannot be transferred from one service to another.

The FVRD does not collect taxes in the same way a municipality does. For residents living in FVRD's electoral areas, taxes are collected by the Province of BC. Each of our member municipalities collects taxes from their residents for services provided by the Regional District. Other sources of revenue include parcel taxes and fees. 

Parcel taxes are flat rates for each lot in a particular service area. For example, if a neighbourhood in Electoral Area D wanted to create a service area for a new sewer system, it might be funded through a combination of parcel tax and user fees. The parcel tax would apply to all properties that had the opportunity to connect to the sewer system. If the new sewer line runs past your property, you have the opportunity to be a participant in this service area. Parcel taxes are collected by the Province of British Columbia and sent to the FVRD annually as part of the annual property tax process.  

User fees, on the other hand, apply only to those properties that are actually connected. User fees are collected directly by the regional district.