Elected fire officials learned last week the district is planning its smallest year-over-year budget increase in years — and it may be the start of a welcome trend.
While the Salt Spring Island Fire Protection District (SSIFPD) proposed budget for 2026 has grown to finally top $6 million, the annual increase of 6.9 per cent revealed at the district’s meeting Monday, July 21 could signal relative relief for a department accustomed to double-digit hikes, according to trustees and staff who praised the hard-found reduction.
“We’ve been at the [higher] levels for several years,” said trustee Robin Williams, who served on the district’s finance committee, “and I think we can justify that somewhat — but I’m glad to see we’ve got it down.”
Based upon the budget as drafted — and including future plans for capital improvements, wage increases and likely hikes in operational expenses — district CAO Rodney Dieleman said it looked as if large annual tax increases were finally in the rear-view mirror.
“We think the budget can come in around six to seven per cent [increases] going forward,” said Dieleman, noting the higher amounts in previous years helped establish district goals like 24/7 fire response and some equipment needs.
“Things can change, but it points to a lower taxation rate than we’ve been accustomed to.”
Last year’s presentation from Dieleman detailed a 9.88 per cent increase over the previous year, which followed along with increases between 9 and nearly 11 per cent since 2021, at the time attributed to those service increases, growing inflation and wage costs.
The board gave the bylaw setting the year’s budget — and the tax to pay for it — first reading on Monday and voted to present the draft budget to ratepayers for their input at a town hall meeting set for Sept. 8.