On November 28, voters in most parts of the Comox Valley can choose whether or not the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) can establish a mechanism to fund initiatives to help alleviate homelessness in the region.
The question put to the voters in the referendum will be:
“Are you in favour of the Comox Valley Regional District adopting Bylaw No. 389 being “Comox Valley Homelessness Supports Service Establishment Bylaw No. 389, 2015” to establish a service that would provide funds to one or more local non-governmental organizations based on a board approved five-year action plan to address homelessness in the Comox Valley?” Yes or No”
If a service were to be established, the Comox Valley coalition to end homelessness would work with local non-profit organizations to develop a five-year plan to address homelessness in the Comox Valley. The CVRD board would review that plan and could approve the funding request from the coalition’s plan. Those approved funds would then be issued by the CVRD directly to the local non-profit organization(s) identified in the plan for that year’s efforts. The organization(s) would be responsible for delivering the services to address homelessness.
All property owners (including residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) in Courtenay, Cumberland, and electoral areas A (excluding Denman and Hornby Islands), B and C would pay the tax. The Town of Comox has opted not to be a participant in the proposed homelessness support service and therefore property owners in the Town of Comox will not pay this tax, and voters in the Town of Comox are not able to vote on the question.
At the tax rate of two cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the owner of a residential property assessed at $300,000 would pay $6 per year. The amount collected from commercial and other non-residential properties depends on a tax multiplier that is applied in each jurisdiction in the CVRD. The province sets the multiplier for the rural areas and the municipalities set their own multipliers so the business class tax rate will vary depending on where the property is located.
Voter eligibility, voting place locations, times and dates, and advance voting information can be found at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/referendum.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.