Creston, BC – April 30, 2020: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town of Creston has continued to provide essential services such as road infrastructure, water, fire protection, wastewater treatment and sewer. The Emergency Operations Centre has been running since March 14, 2020, building situational awareness within our community, as well as planning and preparing for potential impacts of COVID-19. The Town has been able to continue operations with minimal disruptions while accommodating COVID-19 related expenses within the Five-Year Financial Plan, adopted by Council in February 2020.
Property Taxes Due on July 2, 2020: Following Provincial recommendations, the municipal tax for residential, utility and farm class properties are due on July 2, 2020. Penalties will be applied if payment is received after 4:30 p.m. on July 2. Property taxes for the business, light industry, and recreation/non-profit class properties will also be due on July 2, 2020; however, if taxes are paid before October 1, 2020 no penalty will be applied. Tax notices will be distributed mid-May 2020.
- On the whole, the municipal taxes will be less than last year for the average property.
- The Province announced that school tax rates for businesses, light industry, and recreation/non-profit classes will be reduced by 75%. For more information visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0020-000703
- If the property is your principal residence, you may qualify for the Home Owner Grant which reduces the amount of property tax that you pay. The Home Owner Grant application must be filled out each year and submitted to Town Hall, or be applied for online, in order to receive the grant. Unclaimed Home Owner Grants and balances owing after the due date are subject to a 10% penalty, which is added to current taxes unpaid.
Approximately half of the taxes collected from property taxes are for Town of Creston municipal services and operations. The remainder of the total taxes collected by the Town are for the Regional District of Central Kootenay, School Taxes, Hospital District Taxes, BC Assessment, and the Municipal Finance Authority.
The health and safety of our residents and staff remains a priority for the Town of Creston. As such, Town Hall remains closed to the public at this time. There are a number of ways to pay your property taxes including:
- Online Banking
- Physically paying at your banking institution
- Mailing a cheque to Town Hall
- Dropping a cheque off at our street level secure drop-box
- Credit card payment via phone or on our website at https://www.optionpay.ca/payment/town-of-creston/index.php. Please note there is a third-party fee charged on credit card transactions.
We are here to help. If you have any questions or need assistance with any of the above payment options please call us at 250-428-2214, Monday – Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or e-mail us at info@creston.ca. Information regarding deadlines and payment options will be mailed out with property tax notices.
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