Over $2 million has been shaved from LangfordB次元官网网址檚 proposed budget for 2025, in response to B次元官网网址渦ncertain economic times,B次元官网网址� says Coun. Keith Yacucha

The savings have lowered the proposed property tax hike from its starting point of 14.51 per cent, down to 9.77 per cent.

After two years of double-digit tax hikes B次元官网网址� 15.63 per cent in 2024 and 12.41 per cent in 2023 B次元官网网址� to "recuperate" the cityB次元官网网址檚 finances following a number of low tax increases in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yacucha says it is time to B次元官网网址渄ecrease the acceleration.B次元官网网址� 

B次元官网网址淕iven the uncertain economic times, it didn't seem right to push forward with this kind of budget,B次元官网网址� he said in reference to the rising cost of living and the impact of the Canada-U.S. trade war. B次元官网网址淲e can't continue at this rate of double digit increases, even if we are making up for lost ground."

To achieve a single-digit tax increase, Yacucha says "hard decisions" had to be made, with all departments encouraged to B次元官网网址渟cale backB次元官网网址� their ambitions for the year ahead and B次元官网网址渄o with less.B次元官网网址�

"It does mean we're not expanding service levels," he says. "We're not doing necessarily what we wanted to with our strategic plan, some things are going to have to be delayed as a result of this."

One change to the proposed budget, which has ruffled some feathers in the community, is reducing the number of RCMP officers to be hired this year from five to four.

But Yacucha says itB次元官网网址檚 still positive news for the police force.

B次元官网网址淚t's still an increased budget, itB次元官网网址檚 still increased officers,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲e're now at the most officers per person that we've ever had in the city. So it's still an expanding service B次元官网网址� just not expanding as quickly as they were wanting.B次元官网网址�

For residents who might still be unhappy to be facing a 9.77 per cent tax hike, Yacucha encourages them to break down the tax increase, to help understand where their money is going.

Including the fire department, city operations accounts for 3.79 per cent of the proposed increase, RCMP is 3.62 per cent and police dispatch service E-Comm is 2.36 per cent.

B次元官网网址淔or actual city hall operations, we've really kept it really at a low level,B次元官网网址� he says. "A lot of the expenditure that we are being critiqued on during public participation ... people going on about the [cost of] plans, the consultants [and] all of the rest ... the majority of that expense has come through either grants or other non tax revenue sources."

About the cost of E-Comm, he reminds residents that this is a cost downloaded to Langford and nine other south Island municipalities by the province, who have so far not responded to pleas for a reprieve.

Budget discussions will continue at the council meeting on Monday, March 17.