Rick Stiebel/B次元官网网址 Gazette staff
Langford Coun. Denise Blackwell is asking the number crunchers at the Capital Regional District to go back to the drawing board.
At WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 meeting, CRD staff proposed a nearly five per cent increase in the budget for shared regional services, which includes regional planning, parks, governance and more.
Blackwell, LangfordB次元官网网址檚 director on the CRD board, asked that staff take another look at ways to reduce the budget.
She wants to see the budget keep more in line with the cost of living increase, or around two per cent. B次元官网网址淚 felt 4.85 was too high, and asked staff to give us options to where we can bring it to a more reasonable level. When I come to the table itB次元官网网址檚 as as a CRD director, not a Langford councillor. While the increase may be minimal for Langford after sewage treatment is included, I want to find something thatB次元官网网址檚 more equitable for everyone.B次元官网网址�
The majority of directors supported BlackwellB次元官网网址檚 motion, and sent the budget back to staff to try to find a two per cent reduction. View Royal Mayor David Screech, however took issue with the decision.
B次元官网网址淪taff work very hard to present a budget that represents what the CRD needs,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen staff has presented the best budget, I think itB次元官网网址檚 our job as directors to identify where the cuts need to be made. To me, this proposal is all about optics. I have no problem with the proposed increase.B次元官网网址�
Screech noted that out of the proposed increase of nearly $43 for View Royal residents, $35 of that is for sewage treatment. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 do anything about that,B次元官网网址� he added.
Screech said the increase in part was aimed at providing more bylaw enforcement in parks, which he appreciates, especially considering the issues that arise at Thetis Lake Park during the summer months. B次元官网网址淚t also includes funding for extra staff to provide additional financial oversight. Given the size of the CRD budget, that only makes sense.B次元官网网址�
Screech also had concerns with the budget dipping into the CRDB次元官网网址檚 reserve fund to address the cost of regional planning strategies, rather than providing that funding from requisitions. B次元官网网址淕enerally in terms of municipal budgets, you never finance operating costs from a reserve budget,B次元官网网址� he said.
The CRDB次元官网网址檚 total 2017 operating budget was $221 million, which saw an eight per cent increase from 2016.
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