Dawson City raises taxes in response to the town's $800K deficit

Residents living within city limits of Dawson City, Yukon, woke up Thursday with higher taxes on some of the services they rely on.

During a council meeting on Wednesday evening, council passed the vote on the 2023 Budget, Fees and Charges, and Tax Levy Bylaws. 

Increases that residents are going to see are:

The tax increases come as the town is struggling with a nearly $800,000 deficit.

Coun. Julia Spriggs explained the reasoning for the tax hikes to members of the public attending in person and online.

"The reality is in the financial environment we're in, we need to increase revenue and we need to decrease expenses," she said. "I believe we did our best to balance what we could with the tools we have at our disposal at this time."

Coun. Alexander Sommerville also weighed in on the decision.

"As painful as this budget is," he said. "It has a $200,000 buffer built in, cash brought forward from previous years, that we cannot rely on again. To use the phrase again, as painful as this budget is we are clearly staring down a more painful budget year next year with the need to raise an additional $200,000 before we contend with the rising cost of delivering services."

Sommerville said there are also facilities around town that are costing more than they're bringing in — such as the seasonal swimming pool — that need to be addressed.

"You know if I pick on the pool, begging your pardon," he said. "It's because I see so much more community [activity] at the arena in terms of the sports leagues that organize much of the activities there that I don't see at the pool, so I do find it an easier target in terms of you know when we talk about the difficult decision of closing the facility."

A handful of residents showed up to the meeting to show their lack of support for the tax increase.

Resident Jackie Olson was the first to share her concerns.

"This vacant bylaw is going to impact the seniors who are lifetime residents," she said. "Who have invested in this community and have kept it going.

"You're increasing their water and sewer. You're increasing their waste.You're increasing their taxes. And then you want to cut their benefits. And now you want to grab their land that they have their greenhouse or garage on?"