Directors voted to give first and second reading to the 2020 budget at the Feb. 27 Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) board meeting, with third reading and final adoption expected for March 12.
A significant increase has been made to the SCRD’s operating budget, which sits at $46.16 million heading into adoption, up from $42.94 million at Round 1 budget deliberations. More than $1 million in new staffing positions, in addition to salary and wage increases and solid waste operations have contributed to the increase, according to chief financial officer Tina Perreault. Last year’s operating budget was 40.18 million.
This year’s capital budget has also increased. It stands at $26.54 million, up from $16.23 million in 2019. The increase comes from the inclusion of the $8.3-million Church Road well project and $7-million Phase 3 water meter installation project for the District of Sechelt and SIGD. Combined, water and wastewater infrastructure projects make up 79 per cent of the capital budget.
As for taxes, the budget contains an overall increase of 12.89 per cent, which will generate $2,606,610 for the regional district.
Average residential increases are: 11.7 per cent for Pender Harbour, 8.7 per cent for Halfmoon Bay, 11.3 per cent for Roberts Creek, 10.6 per cent for Elphinstone, 10.9 per cent for Area F, 10.3 per cent for the Sechelt Indian Government District (SIGD), 9.1 per cent for the District of Sechelt and for the Town of Gibsons, 11.4 per cent.
Only a portion of the tax bill for residents of the Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt and SIGD is made up of SCRD taxes.
For Area B Islands, the average residential rate has increased by 19.6 per cent.
For Keats island residents, taxes have increased 11.3 per cent, and 18.4 per cent for Gambier Island residents.
Parcel taxes and user fees to pay for the regional water system have increased by 25 per cent. North Pender water users will see their rates increase by 23 per cent and South Pender rise by 17.5 per cent. The increases were added to pay for infrastructure upgrades and fixes.
The budget had previously been slated for adoption at the Feb. 27 meeting but the regional district announced the day before that it would postpone consideration of third reading and adoption until March 12 “to provide the public more time to review the details of the proposed 2020 budget in its final form.”
Prior to the Feb. 27 vote to give the budget bylaw first and second reading, Sechelt director Alton Toth addressed what has become a controversial decision to add 15 full-time equivalent positions at Round 2.
“I can’t vote in favour of this substantial staff increase,” said Toth, who singled out four new positions that would address strategic planning for infrastructure services. “We do have a need for more forward planning than has been done in the past. Our staff are coming in on weekends to get the work done. I get it. However, we’re already making incremental changes to staffing. We’re adding new managers and new support staff, we’re adding a metering technician, even though our metering program is currently incomplete. We’re adding a planner and a communications manager, and, and, and,” said Toth.
He said he would vote against adding the four positions until the impact on staff capacity from the other increases can be assessed. “I don’t feel a sufficiently robust business case has been provided to support these positions,” said Toth, suggesting they would be better suited for consideration in 2022 or contracted out on a limited basis.
“If we hire these staff, the only way we will ever get rid of them is to pay a tremendous amount of severance. The strategic initiative positions are going to add $221,008 to the 2020 tax bill, which increases to $386,407 for 2021 and beyond.”
Elphinstone director Donna McMahon defended some of the additions, saying Toth was not present for the directors’ discussion on strategic planning. “Some of these positions were extensively discussed at that time,” she said.
“I think we have to take the recommendations from our staff of what is actually needed to get the job done that we want to get done.”
Toth replied that he was part of the process as an alternate director, and “we did not talk about the strategic initiatives position.” A water meter installation technical position was premature, he added, given that they haven’t been installed in Sechelt yet.
Sechelt director Darnelda Siegers said she agreed with Toth that “we as directors did not have sufficient time to actually review the material,” because the revised budget was added later to the agenda, but said she would give second reading and thanked staff for postponing consideration of adoption.
Ultimately directors voted to give first and second reading to the 2020 budget. Toth voted against the motions.
More information about the SCRD budget can be found at www.scrd.ca/budget.
