The first indicator of Coast-wide property tax increases for next year came forward at the Oct. 17 meeting of the area’s Regional Hospital Board.
At that meeting the board, comprised of the directors of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) endorsed a Hospital District’s provisional 2025 budget of $1.559 million, up from $1.509 million in 2024.
Per a staff report on the meeting’s agenda, part of the budget increase “is associated with a $27,900 decrease to Current fund investment income."
SCRD staff also provided an estimate that based on the current assessment role, the residential tax rate will likely increase to $6.82 from $6.60 per $100,000 of assessed value in the coming year. It was pointed out that amount could change slightly, as revised property assessments and final taxation details are determined for the final 2025 budget which must be adopted on or before March 31 of that year.
Sechelt hospital's dishwasher replacement
Another decision made at the meeting was for the region to cost share with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) for a “dishwasher upgrade” project at Sechelt Hospital in the 2025 budget, with $348,344 to be taken from reserve funds. According to meeting documentation, the total cost of that project is $870,859.
In debate on that motion, hospital board chair Silas White noted he would like to see the name of that project changed to better reflect its scope, which involves an addition to the facility’s kitchen to accommodate industrial sterilization equipment. SCRD acting chief administrative officer Tina Perreault confirmed she would work with the VCH capital team “to do that."
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