No director-initiated cuts to spending proposals came forward in 11 hours of opening review of the Sunshine Coast Regional District 2024 budget on Dec. 4 and 5.
If all new asks proceed and existing commitments go unreduced, that local government’s draw from area property taxpayers could rise about 18.16 per cent over this year’s level according to a staff report on the meeting agenda. That would be on top of proposed parcel tax and fee increases for water and wastewater services the board is scheduled to consider on Dec. 14.
In opening remarks at the two days of finance committee meetings, chief administrative officer Dean McKinley noted that a 2024 operating budget in excess of the $58 million 2023 version was anticipated. He said estimates on 2024 budget numbers would be updated following the Round 1 session.
Eastbourne Well questioned in carry forward projects
Of the 190 past-year projects slated to carry on into 2024, elected officials agreed with staff advice and recommended cutting a handful of previously approved projects. Those will help bring the tax increase number down from that opening estimate. Included were work on the Mason Road parks building ($300,000), a Phase 2 Suncoaster Trail project ($10,000) and seven active transportation projects in rural areas (about $80,000).
Further committee debate on the remainder of the carryovers was referred to Round 2 discussions which are slated for Jan. 22 and 23.
When that happens, more information will be brought forward on the Eastbourne (Keats Island) well project. “The community is not sold on this well," Area E director Donna McMahon said. She made those comments on behalf of Area F director Kate-Louise Stamford who attended only portions of the committee meetings. The call from McMahon and Area F alternate director Ian Winn (who attended on Dec. 5) was to send the project, with a budget in the $1.5 million range, back for community consultation and review of water supply options such as rainwater harvesting before proceeding with well drilling.
More information was also requested by directors on the Dogwood reservoir project in Pender Harbour ($108,000) and the Mount Elphinstone Watershed Strategy ($10,000).
The current year was another challenging one for the SCRD in terms of completing approved projects. In 2023, there were 230 workplan initiatives with 187 of those carried forward from the previous year. The report revealed of the 190 carryforward items proposed for next year, over half showed no money spent on them in 2023.
New projects and staffing asks
Of the 103 new initiatives proposed by staff, the committee recommended about half be approved. No motions to support proposals were defeated but Gibsons area director Silas White did vote in opposition several times, expressing concerns about the taxation impacts for his area.
The remaining new proposals were referred to Round 2 debate. All proposals that included asks for more staff were referred to Round 2, as a report on an organizational review is to come before elected officials in January. 2024 requests that are to be debated are for about a dozen new staffers in office or administrative roles, two new positions for transit, and an addition at the landfill. Paid assistant fire chief roles, full-time for Gibsons and part-timers for Roberts Creek and Halfmoon Bay are also to be considered.
A report on the meeting agenda detailed that over the last four years, the employee count at that local government went up by 19 per cent, adding just shy of 39 full time equivalent (FTE) positions. The 2023 FTE total was 245.
Also due to be presented to directors before the second round of 2024 budget talks are reports related to the Pender water systems, regional system water supplies, the landfill and allocation of the regional district’s Growing Communities Fund money. Details provided in those will influence recommendations on some of the 2024’s priciest proposals including the development of the Langdale well field, estimated at $17.5 million.
Another project to be considered in the upcoming round is a $250,000 investment in new budgeting software and improvements. Several directors commented streamlining of that system would be welcomed. The project summary on the meeting agenda noted that “The current budgeting process is extremely cumbersome, with the need to use multiple spreadsheets causing duplication, inefficiencies, and significant efforts to manage… Staff are proposing to implement new user-friendly budgeting software.”
