Cumberland council adopted Monday the 2017 property tax rate bylaw. The Village will be increasing overall tax revenues by 3.7 per cent. When all taxes collected for other authorities are included, plus all parcel and frontage taxes, the average residential property owner will pay about $2,817 — not including utility fees, which are collected separately.
•Council gave third reading to a new animal control bylaw that includes a prohibition on feeding wildlife, and updated regulations for aggressive and dangerous dogs.
The bylaw prohibits aggressive dogs (which have had three altercations) in the village. A biting dog is subject to the same requirements as an aggressive dog, but must be muzzled when off an owner’s property.
The bylaw also includes a regulation for the tethering of dogs, intended to ensure the animal is safe with access to food, water, shelter and exercise.
•The Village will provide a letter supporting Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns’ Private Members Bill to establish a National Cycling Strategy. Johns introduced the bill last year in the wake of two fatalities involving cyclists, one in Ottawa and another in Montreal. The bill intends to help expand cycling-friendly infrastructure, encourage more Canadians to choose cycling as a mode of transportation, and improve national safety standards.