2024 will see no change in the leadership at the Sunshine Coast Regional Hospital District (SCRHD) board.
At the board's first meeting of the year, Jan. 25, Gibsons Mayor Silas White, elected as chair for 2023, agreed to continue on. The vice-chair, also selected in 2023, Elphinstone area director Donna McMahon, will retain that role. No other nominations for either position were raised at the meeting for board consideration.
Another business item approved on Jan. 25 was an amended meeting schedule for the coming year. The group is slated to meet next on Feb. 22. At that event, its 2024 budget is to be considered. Adoption of that needs to be completed in a time frame that will allow the Sunshine Coast Regional District board to include setting of the property taxation level required to fund the spending plan in its overall annual taxation rates bylaw. Those levy levels are then passed along to taxation authorities (the province for rural properties and the District of Sechelt and Town of Gibsons for parcels within their boundaries). Those are included with other applicable levies to determine the total property tax amounts payable for that year. Taxation calculations are normally finalized by the end of April, notices are sent to property owners by mid-May, and payments are due at the beginning of July.
On March 21, the group is slated to meet to discuss the SCRHD’s 2023 audit results. Hospital board meetings will follow on April 18, July 18 and Oct. 17. That final scheduled 2024 meeting is projected to see a draft of the 2025 provisional and capital budgets presented.
