Will Sunshine Coast Regional District fire departments' volunteer firefighters move to the long discussed paid-on call model? Following this week's budget sessions it appears changes are coming –– what those changes are, is not yet fully public.
As Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors push closer to inking their 2025 spending plan, the four regional fire departments saw increased volunteer firefighter compensation supported at the second round of 2025 budget debate. Those increases along with recommendations to bolster hours for paid department staffers at the three larger departments received finance committee endorsement on Jan. 13. That was the first of two days of Round 2 debate.
New volunteer compensation model
The committee did most of its debate regarding a new compensation model for volunteers at four-hour in-camera session Monday.
When the public portion of the meeting resumed, directors endorsed a fresh set of recommendations for new funding to change compensation for department volunteers. The increased funding was: $150,120 for Gibsons and District, $79,045 for Roberts Creek, $84,730 for Halfmoon Bay and $17,643 for Egmont and Area.
Those funds will come from taxation for the impacted areas and will allow for an August 2025 implementation of the new compensation model. No details on what the compensation model includes were released nor was there discussion of how those changes will impact future years' budgets.
It was also moved by the committee that the SCRD undertake public information about the new model and ongoing engagement with department members about the model before it is implemented.
While all recommendations passed, Gibsons area director Silas White cast the sole dissenting vote for changing the model for the Gibsons and District department. White said the taxation impact of the new model was “a hard pill to swallow” for residents of his community. He indicated Gibsoners could be facing a 10 per cent increase in property tax rates over the previous year’s level in 2025, based on preliminary discussions at the town council level and regional district budget decisions.
Other enhancements supported
White also voted against a recommendation for a half-person year increase for the Gibsons and Area assistant chief position this year, citing those same concerns. Area E director Donna McMahon and Area F director Kate-Louise Stamford voted in favour, which resulted in a recommendation to cover $75,521 in costs for more paid staff hours, from taxation, in 2025.
Similar bump ups in paid staffing levels were also recommended for the Roberts Creek and Halfmoon Bay departments. Those are anticipated to cost the taxpayers of those areas $35,270 and $46,734 respectively this year.
There was also a successful recommendation to increase the base budget of the Roberts Creek department by $5,000 in 2025.
Gibsons department deficit needs to be covered
Property owners in areas served by the Gibsons and District department may also need to supply extra funds in 2025 to cover overspending by the department in 2024.
A staff report on the meeting agenda identified this issue, the full extent of which will not be known until 2024 year-end procedures are completed. The document noted “the total year-end operating deficit is projected to be between $100,000 and $125,000.
"There are two main factors contributing to the deficit within the service: higher than budgeted wages and benefits and base budget operating expenses; specifically, clothing/turn out gear, materials and supplies, and repairs and maintenance… ”
As the uncommitted operating reserve balance for the service sits at $58,509, that document noted that “at least a portion” of the overspend will need to be funded from 2025 taxation.
All second-round budget recommendations require board endorsement before they can be incorporated into the 2025 spending plan bylaw which is slated to be up for endorsement on Feb. 13.
