The Province says it wants your help in putting together next year’s budget.

“The finance committee travels to a number of communities around the province and has public hearings,” said John Les, Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.

“Our basic question to people is simply, ‘What are your priorities in the provincial budget and what are your preferences in terms of taxation?’”

The committee will be in Fort St. John on Oct. 4 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre.

Thirteen other communities around the province will be on the budget tour, while nine communities can have their say in three videoconferences. Residents can either attend the hearing in their community or submit their point of view in writing, through an online survey or in an audio or video file format.

Les said it is going to be about finding the balance.

“Everybody would like lower taxes and if that is the case, which taxes should be lowered and how do we compensate for that? We are looking for a whole range of ideas from people. It is something we have done for nine years now. We find it is a valuable process in terms of creating the next year’s budget.”

He said the process wraps up with a report given to the finance minister, summarizing the feedback collected.

“It is about priorities in terms of spending and taxation. We are interested in finding out - do people feel they are being taxed too heavily and if so, where should there be tax relief, or do they think taxation levels are just about right? If government services, in their view, are not up to par, then what should they look like? If it requires more money where should it come from?”

To register for the public meetings, which start Sept. 9, contact the committee staff by telephone at 1-877-428-8337 or via email at financecommittee@leg.bc.ca.

For more information on the process, visit www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations.

Public input ends Oct. 15 and the report will be in the finance minister’s hands by Nov. 15.