Gathered on the steps of the legislature, representatives of 10 south Island municipalities are appealing to the province to save their residents from a looming "unfair" tax hike to cover the cost of the E-comm 911 service.
Unlike most of B.C., who will continue to have their services funded by the provincial and federal governments, as of April 1, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, View Royal, North Cowichan, Duncan and Ladysmith will have to cover 100 per cent of the funding for their 911 call-taking and police dispatch services.
“This decision is inequitable, unfair and unsustainable for our municipalities,” said North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas, speaking to press on Jan. 30.
“The south Island is being unfairly singled out,” he added, calling for the province to reverse the decision and give the affected communities the fair treatment they deserve.
“We're not asking for special treatment, just for equity and fairness.”
Originally managed by a local RCMP operational communication centre, the dispatch service was moved to E-Comm 911 in 2019, with the 10 affected municipalities unaware of the financial implications.
According to Douglas, the decision was made without consultation or consideration of the financial strain it could cause for the south Island communities.
“These costs are not ours to bear alone,” he said. “They must be shared equitably across the province.”
As well as appealing for the provincial and federal governments to continue their funding of E-Comm while a thorough review of the service is undertaken, the municipalities have suggested a provincewide telecommunications levy could be introduced to help offset 911 dispatch costs.
For Metchosin Mayor Marie-Terese Little, the levy is a “no-brainer,” as other provinces and territories have already successfully introduced the scheme.
In Alberta, a monthly levy of $0.95 is applied to cellphone bills.
“We've been told it's very complex,” said Little. “Well, it's complex, but Alberta, Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec … they've all been able to solve that.
“It's really a no-brainer, take their model and transfer it here.”
If the decision is not reversed, the estimated cost for the police dispatch service this year, from April to December, is $4.9 million, say the municipalities, which will translate to a minimum property tax increase of between 2.7 and six per cent.
Divided between the 10 municipalities according to population size, the City of Langford is anticipating having to pay the lion’s share of the cost, around $2 million.
In Metchosin, Mayor Little says the cost in 2025 will be around $140,000, a “significant” amount for a community with a population of just over 5,000.
“We're just asking the provincial government to be mindful that we only have one tax base to pull from,” she said. “We can't keep increasing it.”
View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias says the “average household” in his municipality will have to pay “over $90” in 2025 for the E-Comm service.
“[There’s] lots of folks on a very limited income, and certainly their limited income isn't going up by $90 just because of this cost,” he said.
On top of a three per cent increase for the downloaded police dispatch costs, Douglas has warned North Cowichan is facing one of its highest tax increases in over a decade.
“It's never a good year to absorb downloading services,” he said. “But this is a particularly tough year for North Cowichan and many of us here on south Vancouver Island.”
With time running out for the 10 municipalities, who imminently have to finalize their five-year financial plans, a meeting with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Garry Begg has been scheduled in the near future.
Douglas hopes the meeting will result in a positive solution "that works for everyone."
"We're ready and willing to work with the province to find a fair and sustainable solution," he said. "But until then, we will continue to oppose this unfair burden on our communities."
