Maintenance costs for several large public facilities in Kitimat are rising rapidly, including the courthouse, library and museum, which all saw large increases in their proposed 2026 budget.
During budget deliberations on Jan. 26, council considered a new facilities operations and maintenance breakdown to help clarify the cost of maintaining district-owned buildings.
Staff said the courthouse has seen the largest increase in maintenance costs, rising 94 per cent. The cost to maintain the Kitimat Public Library has risen 42 per cent, while the museum has seen an increase of 51 per cent.
The higher costs, according to staff, are due to the age of the buildings, which require more service calls and repairs as they continue to age.
Staff said a proposed roof replacement for the courthouse, estimated at $250,000, has been included in the 2026 budget as one of a small number of non-carryover building projects. It will be funded from the building reserve.
Staff also indicated that the increases reflect a change in how facility-related costs are presented in the budget. In previous years, for example, maintenance costs were spread across multiple departments; they are now allocated to district-owned buildings.
Councillors acknowledged that the new breakdown is more transparent, but said the rising costs highlight the financial pressures of aging infrastructure in the city.
The cost increases in facility maintenance are part of ongoing deliberations for the 2026 budget.
