Salt Spring taxpayers can expect a double-digit increase over last year, as the island’s voice at the regional table argued for one more try at trimming costs in the 2025 Capital Regional District (CRD) budget.
When the CRD’s governance committee met Wednesday, Oct. 2, members voted in favour of a motion from electoral area director Gary Holman for a final, not-quite-last-minute pass at the provisional numbers, in advance of the CRD’s Committee of the Whole (COW) budget meeting at the end of the month. Holman noted the briefing he’d received from staff indicated an increase of “12 or 13 per cent” for most on Salt Spring Island.
That contribution would be another significant escalation from increases in earlier years; Salt Spring’s 2024 contributions rose 9.6 per cent over 2023, after a 5.6 per cent bump the previous year; the average increase in years preceding had been 3.9 per cent.
“If we ask the question on Oct. 30, that’s a bit late in the day to do that,” said Holman. “The intent is to give staff a heads-up, to see if there’s any way that the pencils could be sharpened a little further.”
The motion specifically recommended the broader CRD Board task staff with a report to present to the COW’s Oct. 3 meeting, regarding “possible cost saving” in the 2025 provisional budget –– showing not only where money could be saved but also what the implications of those savings might be.
“In the end, it may come to a choice,” Holman said, “where there’s an objective the board wants to pursue that’s inconsistent with shaving the cost here or there. But I think this sends a signal to taxpayers that we’re doing our best to achieve cost savings wherever possible.”
Provisional budgets have in recent years been approved and presented to the public in October, with financial plans for both the CRD and the Capital Regional Hospital District approved by their respective boards in March. Last year’s consolidated budget topped $777 million; Salt Spring’s portion was $8.37 million.