Central Saanich has unveiled a new draft five-year financial plan that includes a property tax increase of 7.76 per cent.
District councillors heard a presentation of the new plan on Monday (March 4), explaining to them the reasons for the increase, which include general inflation, increased wages and a roughly $20 million capital spending plan that includes new active transportation infrastructure and a sewer rebuild in Brentwood Bay.
“We were consistently doing $2 million a year of capital, and this year we’re doing $20 million,” district Chief Administrative Officer Christine Culham told councillors. “So, if we want to increase to $20 million, do the Brentwood Bay Sewer, do the active transportation on an accelerated time-frame, we need resources to do that.”
The tax increases would equate to a $185 bump for an average Central Saanich homeowner. About $100 of that, or 4.15 per cent, is for general operations, $38, or 1.61 per cent, for police, $6, or o.25 per cent, for libraries, and the remaining $41, or 1.75 per cent, for new and replacement infrastructure.
Utilities cost are separate, and the new financial plan has water rates going up 0.2 per cent and sewer rates rising 7.5 per cent.
Deliberations on this draft financial plan will continue on March 18. Final council approval is not expected until May.
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