Kamloops, BC – September 13, 2023 – The Thompson Regional Hospital District (TRHD) Board of Directors has initiated the process to decrease its tax requisition for the 2023 budget.
Hospital districts in B.C. typically fund 40% of capital equipment purchases at healthcare facilities within hospital district boundaries, with the Province of BC funding remaining amounts. In 2023, the TRHD board expects to decrease its tax requisition by approximately $271,343 (or 1.7%), to account for properties in Sun Rivers and Sienna Ridge located on Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc reserve lands, that do not directly contribute to the TRHD annual budget. This amount will be adjusted annually based on Sun Rivers and Sienna Ridge property assessments.
“After discussions with Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc leadership, we understand that sufficient taxation is collected from properties in these neighbourhoods due to the Locatee Lease Policy that is applied by the Government of Canada, and we are aligned with Tk’emlúps in this,” said Board Chair Mike O’Reilly. “This reduction in taxation is to make sure that taxpayers in other communities of our hospital district are not continuing to absorb these additional costs to meet the TRHD’s annual contributions. This reduction in taxation will mean that the Province of BC will need to prepare to fund this difference.”
The tax requisition for the TRHD budget in 2023 was just under $16.4 million, representing a 1.5% increase over the previous year. This means that an average home assessed at $600,000 within the TRHD boundaries would have paid pay approximately $179.58 in 2023 for their portion of residential hospital district taxes.
The TRHD generally exists to borrow funds and finance construction projects or equipment purchases at facilities within its boundaries, and capital projects are cost-shared between the Province of BC and the TRHD. However, as explained in the Ministry of Health 2023/24 – 2025/26 Service Plan, capital projects related in cancer care are funded by the Province of BC through providers such as the Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Cancer.
The TRHD Board continues to advocate for investments in cancer care in the Thompson-Nicola region at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), located in Kamloops, B.C. During a special TRHD Board meeting on September 7, 2023, the Board voted to approve spending up to $75,000 from the TRHD annual operations budget to outsource for the preparation and delivery of a public advocacy campaign for a Kamloops Cancer Centre. To read the report, click here.
“Currently, cancer patients in the Thompson-Nicola region and their loved ones need to travel to Kelowna for specialized cancer treatment, such as radiation. Bringing specialized cancer care to RIH is crucial for our area and would bring this service closer to home for more than 225,000 residents within the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap Health Service Delivery Area,” said O’Reilly.
About the Thompson Regional Hospital District:
The TRHD Board of Directors is comprised of 31 members, including all 27 Board members of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, two elected officials from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (Electoral Areas “A” and “B”), and one elected official, respectively, from the District of Lillooet and Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (Electoral Area “F”). To learn more about the Thompson Regional Hospital District, please visit: tnrd.ca/trhd.
Contact:
Mike O’Reilly, Board Chair
Thompson Regional Hospital District
Tel.: 250-819-3165
director.moreilly@tnrd.ca