Sooke bureaucrats will present a pared-down 2024 budget of 10.6 per cent to council next week, a feat accomplished by dipping into the districtB次元官网网址檚 reserve funds, says Mayor Maja Tait.
The proposed increase works out to $12.26 a month for the average homeowner on the municipal portion of the property tax.
Tait said the district struck a good balance between maintaining services and the need to increase protective services.
B次元官网网址淢any of the districtB次元官网网址檚 costs are fixed and canB次元官网网址檛 be reduced without cutting jobs or programs,B次元官网网址� Tait said. B次元官网网址淥ur big need is to increase protective services, and at the same time getting on with the necessary infrastructure and amenity improvements.B次元官网网址�
The District of Sooke will host a budget open house on April 3 from 2 to 7:30 p.m. at Municipal Hall, 2205 Otter Point Rd. Residents are invited to get involved in the budgetary process and learn more about how their tax dollars are spent.
More than 1,000 residents took part in a survey to help shape the budget priorities for 2024. Attendees will learn more about these priorities, which include transportation infrastructure and community development. They will also have the chance to ask questions and provide further feedback to the district council.
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District councillors will review the municipalityB次元官网网址檚B次元官网网址檚 annual budget, which is estimated at more than $40 million, during MondayB次元官网网址檚 (March 25) meeting.
The budgetB次元官网网址檚 key investments include transitioning to 24/7 policing, a new bylaw officer, completion of the Church/Throup roundabout, the Little River Pedestrian Crossing, bridge maintenance and transit, and streetlight and crosswalk improvements.
ItB次元官网网址檚 common for district council to reduce its tax increase.
Last year, council started with a proposed 9.34 per cent increase and finalizing at 6.99 per cent. This yearB次元官网网址檚 budget was originally set at 13.3 per cent.
Municipal services account for less than half of what is collected on the annual property tax bill. In 2023, the municipal portion represented 44 per cent of taxes collected.
Sooke has the second lowest residential tax rate on Vancouver Island, behind only Lake Cowichan.
SookeB次元官网网址檚 budget numbers represent the municipal portion of taxes only. They do not include taxes levied taxes levied by other agencies: Capital Regional District, Sooke School District, the Vancouver Island Regional Library, Island Health, the Municipal Finance Authority and B.C. Assessment.
Property taxes are due July 2.
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