Kamloops city council is expected to vote today on changing the tax rate for major industry.

Councillors are being given five options from city staff on how to change it, saying the current tax rate may not reflect the forest sector relative to the taxes forest companies here pay.

Domtar’s mill general manager in Kamloops Jean-Claude Allaire tells NL News his company is willing to pay its fair share, but says the company’s taxes can’t continue to increase because of challenges in the forest sector.

“Of course, we think the strategy that was approved years and years and years ago, which has nothing to do with the immediate council, increasing Domtar’s taxation was not what was sustainable in the long-haul,” Allaire says.

“So basically we want the city to develop a strategy. And Domtar is will to pay its fair portion of tax, but we cannot continue to increase Domtar tax because Kamloops has lost so many in the (forest) industry.”

Domtar pays more than $5 million in municipal taxes in Kamloops each year.

Kamloops council adjusted the mill rate slightly last year, which lowered Domtar’s share by about $200,000.