Budget 2026

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https://letstalk.sooke.ca/budget

CAO Report, May 25: "For the average assessed residential property, the municipal increase is approximately $186.87 annually, or $15.57 monthly. Taxes are due July 2, 2026."  

April 2 
Council voted 4-3 (Tait, Bateman, Beddows, St-Pierre in favour, Haldane, McMath, Pearson against) yesterday to proceed with the first three readings of the five-year financial plan at a 10.5% tax increase in 2026. That equates to $210 more for the average assessed home in Sooke. I'm not running again in October, so this will be my final budget vote and I'm content that we and staff have done our very best to balance civic needs and the rising costs thereof while providing an accurate-as-possible accounting of what lies ahead through 2030 in terms of future anticipated costs for police, fire, asset management, union staffing and potential debt repayments on new road infrastructure. 

As the vote split indicates, tax increases and the District's current cost of doing business will be an election issue this fall (as Cllrs. Pearson & Haldane seemingly made clear in a recent press release). This sets the stage for an echo of the 2011 election that brought in a council (including these two council colleagues) that voted for no or exceptionally low tax increases during its three-year term.  Sooke was a notably smaller and different community at the time as it weathered the fallout of the 2008 recession. Our growth spurt started in earnest in 2015 and continues at a clip of about 2% annually as we get set to exceed an 18k population in 2026. 

At yesterday's special council meeting, a motion at the 10% rate was introduced initially to launch a near three-hour discussion. The slim majority of us concluded that Asset Management reserve contributions were non-negotiable and brought back the full 2% amount (rather than cutting 0.5% as proposed). That amendment took us to 10.5%. 

Our conversation was informed by public input at the start of the meeting from a half-dozen speakers. They noted that this tax increase will hurt them and those they know given the overall affordability crisis driven by the cost of housing (link to Affordable BC), food (Stats Can Food Data Hub) and gas ($2.14/litre today at PetroCan in Sooke).  Also referenced were the overall economic uncertainties in general facing British Columbians (see CPA BC review of Budget 2026), Canadians (Bank of Canada projections) and the planet at large (Export Development Canada's Global Economic Outlook 2026). 

Like the 1,700 residents who participated in last year's Budget 2026 survey, the speakers generally supported the police/fire hires and infrastructure maintenance necessary given Sooke's growth. They did wonder why the District does not cut back hard on municipal staffing and ride out the difficult times in lean/mean fashion, just as the private sector must do. (In order to reduce its $13.3b deficit, the Province is cutting 2,000 public service jobs this year; the Local Government Act and Community Charter contain strict rules that require local governments to operate with balanced budgets, i.e. no deficit.) 

One speaker was in strong support of a double-digit hike on the grounds that the increases are all well justified to maintain service levels in a growing community and that (as proven by the low/no tax increase period of 2011-2015) future taxpayers must pay the piper eventually.  As my vote demonstrated, I agree. (And no, I nor any of us feel the least bit good about yet again increasing everyone's tax bills, yet these last few months -- and in previous years -- we have pushed staff and laboured for many hours of public meeting time to find the right mix.

This council committed to 24/7 union police and fire coverage in 2023, then approved Sooke's first-ever asset management levy a year later. These increases are the price, we have unanimously agreed in the last three budgets, for adequate (not deluxe, I argue) community safety and functionality. Reaching these goals requires hikes here in one of the lowest-taxed communities of our general size in the province. So say four of seven of us.  Result: A tough decision duly made by the majority.  

Budget impacts of yesterday's decision ... 
- One less police officer is now in the mix; as Staff Sgt. Willcocks told us, Sooke RCMP will still be bolstered by two new hires - one a Community & School Police Liaison Officer, the other a general duty officer -- with more to follow in future years. The Staff Sgt. has committed to dedicating his own time to addressing town centre public safety concerns and liaising with the business community.

- Sooke Fire Services team will grow with two additional firefighters this year (#14 and #15) with one new hire projected annually through 2030 as the District works towards a full compliment of 20 to enable effective four-member rotations 24/7.  

- New municipal staff vacancies will be all the more carefully and creatively analyzed for value and worth rather than automatically posted. Technology (read: AI) is being mindfully, strategically and all-due-cautiously integrated into District operations to serve as a time-saving aid for staff researching District policies, bylaws and past agendas/minutes so as to improve turnaround times for reports and decisions, thus freeing them up to tackle other priorities on their various extended to-do lists.  

- "Small town with a big heart" (aka Sooke Compassionate City) support remains intact through funding for existing service agreements and the Community Grant program. Our vote also renewed now-lapsed funding for groups such as the Wild Wise Society, Amber Academy, Harmony Project Sooke, Need2 Suicide Prevention and the essential prenatal and youth navigator counselling work of the Sooke Family Resource Society.  Overall direction of the youth and youth-serving non-profit sector has been enhanced with a per-capita contribution ($14,400) for two years to a full-time coordinator position for The Village Initiative's Municipal Leadership Advisory Council, a salary shared by other regional local governments. (All this I definitely feel good about.) 

- Five-Year Plans are reworked annually at the discretion of council, and this 2026-30 model will again undergo tweaks and possibly dramatic changes pending the make-up of the new crew to be elected in October. As it stands, this new financial plan projects an additional 41% over five years largely to be spent on (in order of dollar projections) police, fire, asset management and non-discretionary contract increases for CUPE and IAFF employees. Also included in this total are potential debt payments on the large-scale borrowing for the Throup/Phillips bypass road, it being conditional, of course, on a future referendum vote.

- Ahead is the Budget Open House on Wed. April 8 at the Municipal Hall. All are welcome to drop in and explore the nitty gritty in (sometimes heated, often curious and engaged) conversation with staff and those of us from council who can be counted on to attend. 

- Perspective: Approx. 4,500 budgets are produced annually by all levels of government in Canada (including 3,572 incorporated municipalities across the country).

Summing up, and to quote the District ... 

"The proposed increase is driven by the following key components:

• 3.04%: Fire - Additional staffing, including two career firefighters, and maintaining emergency response capacity
• 2.60%: Police - Two additional RCMP officers, including a school and community liaison services officer 
• 2.00%: Asset Management - Investment in maintaining and replacing infrastructure such as roads and facilities
• 1.81%: General Municipal - Ongoing operational costs and service delivery including municipal roads, parks and trails, bylaw and legislative requirements
• 0.97%: E-Comm 9-1-1 - Full-year funding for emergency call answering and dispatch services
• 0.08% Debt Servicing

Rough Calculations Chez Bateman  
based on the expected tax bill for the near average-assessed home Carolyn and I have lived in these last 23 years: 

* Covering a little over 45% of our total bill, our municipal contributions will be about $2,020, I'm calculating. The District of Sooke share of our statement last year was a little over $1,800. 

- Other line items on the bill to be delivered in late May (without factoring in homeowner grants) ... 
* School tax - $950 last year (annual lift determined under the School Act in mid-April) 
* CRD costs this year are up 5.6%, taking the average assessed cost of its services (see chart below drawn Appendix I of the March 11 CRD Board of Directors agenda) to about $600
* BC Transit increase in its 2026/27 Budget & Tax Regulation is 6.5%; this amounts to about $290 for us this year
* VI Public Library increase for 2026 in its Five-Year Plan is 4.6% (i.e., bringing its share to ~$145 on our bill)  
* The CRD Regional Hospital District fee is effectively unchanged at approx. $100
* BC Assessment will be about $30
* The Municipal Finance Authority charged 0.16 cents last year 

Total bill we expect this year will likely be a little over $4,000. Like many, we qualify for BC homeowners grants.  When I apply the basic grant under Column B (which reduces school taxes by some 60%) this amount will drop to approx. $3,400.  As seniors, we can also apply the Column C discount, which cuts another 20% from the school tax.

With the grants included, our likely final total this year is around about $3,300 -- give or take if I have these numbers right. In 2025 we paid $2,995.65. 

Optional: Property Tax Deferment Program 
BC Tax Deferment Program
- Regular program (for people who are 55 or older, are a surviving spouse or a person with disabilities)
- Families with children program (homeowners with children under age 18) 
- Eligibility requirements 

- Changes introduced in Feb. 2026 BC Budget
Changing the interest rate structure for the Property Tax Deferment Program from simple to compound and adopting a prime plus 2% rate for loans. Prime rate as of Feb 17 is 4.45% so with the above would mean a 6.45% interest rate.
- As of this time last year, BC residents deferred $2.33b in property taxes (2024/25) vs. $2.13b a year earlier 
- CBC coverage (Feb 17) + web article on the changes, March 2026 + Global News (April 2) 

​- Press release from Office of the BC Seniors' Advocate (May 5, 2026) 
<clip> "The Ministry of Finance data shows that under the new program terms, a senior homeowner deferring the median tax amount of $3,800 every year for 10 years will pay just over $17,000 in interest costs. Under the previous program terms, a senior deferring the median tax amount annually for 10 years would pay just over $5,000 in interest costs.

These estimates assume a prime rate of 4.45% and consistent annual deferrals. However, it is likely both the rate and tax amount deferred will change over time. Approximately 80% of seniors who defer their taxes repay the loan within about 10 years, typically when they sell their home.
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“Despite tax deferment costing $1,200 more per year on average with the government’s recent changes, the loan is not due until the home sells which is a huge advantage over other lending programs,” said Levitt. “There has been a lot of inaccurate information shared about the financial impact of government’s changes, however, the program still provides significant support for seniors needing extra money to pay bills each month or cover an unforeseen expense.”

March 31 Update 
- We meet tomorrow to debate tax increases at 8, 10 and 12% levels in 2026

- Pocketbook context: A 1% tax increase equals an extra $20.04 per annum on an average assessed Sooke house (i.e., $786k as of the latest July 1, 2025 determination of BC Assessment). At 12% this would be $240.48. Since 2012, Sooke taxes have risen 61% at a cost of approximately $1,200 to this average-assessed homeowner. 

- Between the previous post and now, we have had two more rounds of budget talks based on updated staff reports ~ March 23 (agenda) and March 16 (agenda). 

- A motion to approve the budget at the 12% rate failed in a three-three tie vote on March 23. Yes: Bateman, Beddows, St-Pierre. No: Haldane, McMath, Pearson. All of us are homeowners and taxpayers ourselves, but we clearly have a split view on how to move forward in this election year. 

- The later three focused on the need for significant cuts to address the affordability crisis faced by some unknown but significant percentage of homeowners in our community. They logically ask: Has the District looked at every possible belt-tightening measure? Tough times undoubtedly call for austerity budgets. These questions have been asked at earlier budget meetings that were missed by Pearson (on holiday) and McMath (at work). 

- We three in favour recognize from personal experience that money is tighter than ever and that increases hurt but we are willing to absorb the political heat from some vocal quarters to ensure services and infrastructure are properly funded. We acknowledge that the top-end of the potential hike this year was an untenable 18% and staff have reigned it in substantially.

- We also recognize that this council committed to 24/7 union police and fire coverage in 2023, then okayed Sooke's first-ever asset management levy a year later. These increases are the price for adequate (not deluxe) community safety and functionality. Reaching these goals require hikes here in one of the lowest taxed communities of our general size in the province. (And no, to repeat, the comparison charts we're shown are not apples-to-apples given differing services operated by each municipality, but there's no question we have got maximum bang for our relatively limited bucks since incorporation.) 

- Haldane's follow-up motion called for a new staff report to provide options for 6%, 8% and 10% increases this year. McMath seconded this motion, but immediately amended it to eliminate the 6% on the grounds that it was mission impossible given non-discretionary items within the budget. I pointed out that these unavoidable  costs (two-thirds of them rooted in union contract increases) total over 10% alone when administrative and police numbers are added up.

- The motion passed 4-2 (Haldane, Pearson, McMath and myself in favour vs. Beddows and St-Pierre opposed.) I voted 'yes' to avoid further tie votes and to move the process forward to tomorrow's meeting, where a full council (now that Mayor Tait is home from her visit to our sister city in Japan) will be able to weigh in. 

- To make meaningful cuts to the 12% increase, we would need to consider axing the following as per the chart at the top of this page:
 
i) Up to half of the 2% to be dedicated to the Asset Management Reserve Fund first established in the 2024 budget.  Full details on the fund in the Dec. 11, 2023 Council agenda  (pp. 49-182). In brief, asset management ensures the DOS can maintain roads, drainage and other infrastructure, especially our failing stormwater systems, culverts and potholed patches on municipal roads. BC local governments have been playing catch-up by creating and building these reserves over the last decade, and the entirely common-sense consensus is that they're essential. Critical, in fact, when unforeseen and unbudgeted emergencies occur on (to cite this year's examples so far) Blythwood (sloughing of the roadside bank following heavy rainfall), Dufour Road (sinkhole) and the corner of Brownsey and Goodmere (sinkhole).  
 
ii) One or two of the three requested Sooke RCMP officers that Staff Sgt. Willcocks has persuasively argued are required this year in addition to more to follow over the length of the five-year plan. The cuts, should we go to 10% or lower, would include the hybrid Community Police Officer/School Police Liaison Officer strongly supported by the Sooke Chamber of Commerce and the principals at EMCS and Journey Middle School. 

iii) The Sooke Community Association's ask for an annual $70k to support its operation of Fred Milne Park and Art Morris Park (atop the $35k already provided in the Community Hall service agreement). The SCA made a strong pitch at the Jan. 17 meeting by noting that municipalities typically fund and staff their own recreational facilities as per multi-million examples from Langford, Colwood, Metchosin and View Royal. The new funds would support "base operations, facility maintenance, safety and capital readiness ... the partnership would allow us to leverage District support to access external grants for major upgrades - the community hall, turf improvements and field lighting." 

The agenda for the special council meeting tomorrow (April 1, 4 PM) ...
asks that council select between and/or modify options at the 8%, 10% or 12% levels. 

<clips from the agenda>

Financial Context
- 1% taxation = $144,488  (a comparable 1% in Central Saanich, to cite one example, raises $230k approx.) 
- Each 1% of taxation represents approximately $1.67 per month for the average assessed household. ($20.04 per year)
- 10% scenario requires $288,976 in reductions (from 12%)
- 8% scenario requires $577,952 in reductions (from 12%)

Since 2012, taxes in Sooke have risen 61% ...
approx. $1,200 in total for the average assessed residential property owner.  
2012-2025 ~ 61.0% 
2019-2025 ~ 49.39% 

Each scenario includes measures that defer expenses to future years, particularly where partial-year staffing costs in 2026 will require full-year funding in 2027. 

Breakdown of the potential 12% increase ... 
- Police = 35% of total increase 
- Fire = 21% 
- Asset Management = 17%
- Municipal Services = 24% 

​Lower taxation scenarios require trade-offs, most notably reduced investment in infrastructure, particularly the asset management program. The scenarios provide a range of options:

- 12% maintains service levels and aligns with community priorities
- 10% maintains core services with moderate long-term impact through reduced investment in infrastructure 
- 8% introduces significant service and infrastructure risk
 
8% Scenario – Key Consideration
"The 8% scenario reflects significant service reductions, including a reduction from three additional police officers to one, impacts to parks and trails and community services, and increased long-term financial risk due to reduced investment in the asset management program. Council is asked to consider whether this reduction is worth the increased infrastructure risk or additional service impacts. Staff do not recommend reducing investment in the asset management program to zero given current infrastructure conditions and associated risks." 

Working five-year projections in the draft 2026-30 plan ... 
I asked specifically at the Feb. 17 meeting that the five-year projections be as accurate as possible based on the "known knowns" of what lies ahead (i.e., additional hires requested by police, fire and municipal hall) while always open to the fact that there will be unknown costs driven by realities on the ground and the decisions of future councils.

Finance Director Liu delivered the following. 

2027 - 13.46% 
2028 - 15.55% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2029 - 8.10% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2030 - 4.17%
41.28% additional total

2027 - 13.46%
- Police = 35%
- Fire = 21%
- Debt = 8%
- Asset Management = 15% 
- Municipal Services = 21% 

2028 - 15.55%
- Police = 34%
- Fire = 8%
- Debt = 34%
- Asset Management = 13%
- Municipal Services = 11%

2029 - 8.10%
- Police = 7%
- Fire = 14%
- Debt = 43%
- Asset Management = 25% 
- Municipal Services = 11% 

2030 - 4.17%
- Police = 13%
- Fire = 26% 
- Debt = -13%
- Asset Management = 48%
- Municipal Services = 26%

The plan focuses primarily on new hires to enable full-scale transition to 24/7 police and fire coverage. The wild card unknowns in these increases relate to whether the District will proceed with work on the Throup Road connector should this be determined through a referendum vote.

District staffing increases will be minimal over the five years if not quite a bona fide hiring freeze. There will be an emphasis on the use of technology (read: AI) to aid and abet the work of existing municipal employees. 


District of Sooke Current Staffing 
- 70 permanent full-time employees
- 35 auxiliary, part-time and paid-on-call employees 
- Fire: 15 IAFF firefighters + 24 paid-on-call 
- Sooke RCMP: 14 officers 

District staff count in 2019: 39 full-time employees
(at a time when there were half-a-dozen or so existing staff vacancies, including permanent CAO) 

Then and Now Budget Comparisons
* Fire (2016) - $1.2m 
* Fire (2026) - $3.6m  

* Police (2016) - $1.7m 
* Police (2026) - $3.99m 

* General Government Services (2016) - $3.7m 
* General Government Services (2026) - $6.1m 


Other Municipal Comparisons 

* Esquimalt - 2026 budget overview + initial proposed 13% reduced below 12% in February. In 2024, the City brought its increase below 10% by cutting its infrastructure reserve fund contribution in half. <clip> "Since 2024, staff have warned council that it will have to raise property taxes if it wants to keep up the quality of roads and pipes, saying issues such as flooded homes during heavy rainfall will become more common if the municipality’s approach to infrastructure is kept at the status quo." 

* Sidney - 9.37% increase approved on March 18. ( <clip> "$176 more for the average residential property for the year. Previous tax increases were among the lowest in the region because they were supported in part by reserve funds, which now need to be replenished, the town said. RCMP and fire improvements represent a 5.4 per cent increase, more than half of this year’s increase, while police dispatch costs are equivalent to a 2.6 per cent increase.)

* Saanich - 5.35% for 2026 ... Saanich budget home page. Saanich raised its taxes by 8.02% in 2025. This added $280 to the average-assessed residential tax bill last year. 

* Central Saanich - 7.3% tax increase under consideration (Times Colonist). This amounts to a $205 increase for average  assessed residential property. 

* Duncan - proposed 8.73% increase in 2026 

* North Cowichan finalizes this year's tax increase at 8.42% (March 30 ~ "The municipality faced a number of uncontrollable costs in 2026, including inflation, a $1.6-million increase in staff wages, a $1.2-million increase in long-term debt, a $575,000 increase to the RCMP contract, an increase of $205,000 for E-Comm services, and $131,000 for the municipal elections in October.  But, during the budget-building process, North Cowichan’s senior staff repeatedly warned council and the public about the risks of not sufficiently financing the municipality’s operations." 

Related
* "Thinking of Moving To A More 'Affordable' Part of the Country? Consider This" (CBC News, March 17, 2026) 

* Tracking BC's Interprovincial Migration (BC Examiner, March 2026) <clip> "British Columbia has gone from attracting nearly 20,000 net interprovincial migrants per year between 2014 and 2022 to an average of barely 500 per year for the past three years. Interprovincial migration is no longer making a measurable contribution to population growth in this province ... For a province that has long relied on in-migration to support population as well as economic growth, this marks a meaningful shift – one that may persist if relative economic and labour market conditions do not improve." 

* British Columbians Want A Future Worth Staying For (Business Council of British Columbia) + Aug. 2025 report 

* "There Is Only One Escape from the Affordability Crisis" (Globe and Mail, Feb. 28, 2026)
<clip> "As it stands, every barometer of the Canadian consumer base shows sentiment in the dumps, comparable with past recessions. The strain of high costs courses through all facets of daily life, with two-thirds of Canadians saying today’s cost of living is the worst they can ever remember it being, according to a recent Abacus Data survey.Yes, inflation has been subdued. The numbers aren’t fake. But that does nothing to cushion the blow from what was the worst inflationary episode since the 1980s.
When inflation spiralled out of control in 2021, prices permanently levelled up in a way that Canadians are still trying to wrap their heads – and their budgets – around, especially when it comes to essentials.
Compared to a decade ago, food, gas and shelter costs have each jumped by roughly 40 per cent – nearly double the rise in overall prices that a 2-per-cent annual inflation rate would have delivered over that time." 



Update Feb. 18: Post-COW 
* Council (Beddows, Haldane, Tait and myself) sitting as the COW this afternoon voted in favour of asking staff to "provide additional reporting on an updated 2026-2030 Financial Plan based on a maximum annual tax increase of 12% including associated service-level impacts and reserve implications."

* Policing discussion focused (at Mayor Tait's suggestion) on adding a third RCMP officer to this year's budget so as to serve as a Community Police Officer with a particular focus as Sooke's first dedicated School Police Liaison Officer. (District of Mission SPLO example.) The requested office manager would be deferred to a future year. 

* This potential hire shapes up as a significant act of "upstream intervention." The SPLO officer would work in concert with SD #62 at all Sooke-area schools, delivering straight talk and sound advice about drugs, gangs and sexual exploitation, facilitating restorative justice interventions, and generally ensuring students steer well clear of the youth justice system. (See the Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee SPLO backgrounder on the high-profile debate/controversy in recent years at the Victoria School District. SD #62 schools in the west shore have a SPLO program through West Shore RCMP. Modified Sooke school engagement of this general kind ended some years back when Constable Sam Haldane moved to a new position.)

* The community policing part of the job is timely given the rising fears around safety in the town centre following a string of arson incidents and the results of the Chamber of Commerce Business Walk survey that captured up-Sooke business concerns related to theft, vandalism and homelessness. The TBA officer (budget approval pending) would be the "face of Sooke RCMP," said Staff Sgt. Willcocks. She/he would be a visible presence around town and would liaise on community safety initiatives, including with the business community. 


Original Post: Starting Points 
- Budget Deliberations Start on Feb. 17 (press release)
- Let's Talk Budget 2026 (DOS microsite)
- Budget and Finance - District website home page 
- Five-Year Financial Plan, 2025-2029 (adopted: April 7, 2025) 
- Five-Year Financial Plan 2024-2028 (adopted in April, 2024)

Committee of the Whole - Feb. 17, 2026
We now enter the phase in the annual budget cycle when things get, as they say, real. Crunch time, and nobody is likely to be happy (to quote BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey regarding the province's own budget to be delivered tomorrow.)   

Brace yourself, Sooke: You'll again be paying more in this year's needs-not-wants budget as the District continues to strive to make up lost time (and tax dollars) by addressing essential municipal responsibilities - fire, police, asset management and union contract increases.  There is arguably again zero fluff in this budget -- at least not if you recognize support for non-profit organizations through Sooke's Community Investment Program as a must, not a nice-to-have. 

The key points in tomorrow's agenda: 

- District staff will present potential tax increases ranging from 10.23% to 18.51% this year

- This hike will be subject to council decisions regarding discretionary and new-funding budget asks  

- Average household increases will range from $182 to $330 per year ($15 to $28 per month) pending the final determined % increase. 

- In 2026, a 1% tax increase = $144,488 in additional municipal revenue. In comparison, other municipalities gather considerably more from a +1% hike, i.e. Saanich ($1.75m), Langford ($450k), Colwood ($212k). 


Catching Up: Critical Context 
In 2025, Sooke yet again ranked as the third lowest among 26 local governments on Vancouver Island in residential property taxes collected for municipal services -- $2,022 on the average assessed residence. (These are not apple-to-apple comparisons, it is routinely noted; some munis provide garbage pick-up, others (like Sooke) do not; however we're told, in the balance and given discrepancies, we have enjoyed bargain tax rates for many years well below the norm.) 

If we opted for the maximum $330 (which I'm confident we will not), we'd still be among the lowest 10 communities on the island given increases by those immediately ahead of us on last year's chart.  Oak Bay ($6,139), Victoria ($4,065) and Saanich ($4,002) lead the CRD in general municipal tax. We're in the ballpark with North Saanich ($2,059), Metchosin ($2,122) and Sidney ($2,444). 

The VI average is approx. $2,500 per average household. We slipped behind our own growth curve in 2012-16 back when Sooke RCMP first began calling for more officers. Despite bold tax increases since 2017 (60.22% total) following five years of no or ultra-low hikes, we continue to need additional funds in the areas of police, fire and asset management in particular. 

Staff recommendation that the Future Policing Cost Reserves fund be left untouched ($433,597 as of Dec. 31, 2025). This will ensure available funding for any potential cases involving the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and is a starter on funding for the one-day need for a new RCMP/emergency services building. 


2026 General Fund Operating Costs 
- General Government - $5,011,303 (26%)
- Planning, Development & Building Services - $1,537,234 (8%)
- Operations - $3,715,339 (19%)
- Police - $5,237,952 (27%)
- Fire & Emergency - $3,753,895 (20%)
TOTAL: $19,255,733 

Budget Components 
Municipal Services (excluding RCMP)
 7.59% is non-discretionary 
- 5.51% - labour cost increases (CUPE 374 Sooke and IAFF Local 4841) 
- 0.45% - debt servicing 
- 0.01% - election costs 
- 0.24% - contractor and maintenance 
- 0.49% - IT software and licensing 
- 0.14% - insurance and banking fees
- 0.16% - BC Hydro rate increase
- 0.10% - materials and equipment
- 0.03% - fuel 

 2.0% - Asset Management Reserve Fund increase is discretionary
 
2.71% is discretionary 
- 0.46% - Firefighter #14 
- 0.31% - Parks Auxiliary labourers 
- 0.26% - Geographic Information Services co-op student 
- 0.55% - Community Service Agreement increases (SCA) 
- 0.42% - Zoning & Building Bylaw consultancy 
- 0.35% - Rainwater infrastructure maintenance
- 0.10% - Streetlight contract maintenance
- 0.10% - Parks vehicle & small-machine maintenance
- 0.07% - Connector road engagement for referendum 
- 0.06% - Tree maintenance 
 
0.22%+ in new funding requests 
- TBD – Deputy Mayor’s pay 
- 0.21% - Foundry BC contribution
- 0.1% - The Village Initiative coordinator contribution (shared with West Shore communities & SD #62) 
 

Sooke RCMP 
 2.64% is non-discretionary 
- $198,855 to cover latest RCMP union contract increases for 14 budgeted RCMP members
- $42k to cover pay and benefits for three public-service employees 
- $430k for a full year of E-Comm 9-1-1 service 
 
3.69% is discretionary 
- $532,452 for two more RCMP officers 
 
1.57% in new funding requests 
- $130k – new office manager position 
- $97,500k – new GIS Disclosure Clerk (to handle heavy paperwork now managed by officers) 
 
Total request: 7.90% 
- $1.14m = $141 per household per year 

"Policing is the largest single service within the District’s operating budget. RCMP contract costs, staffing levels, equipment requirements, and provincial standards strongly influence overall municipal expenditures and property tax scenarios." - DOS

Budget Next Steps 
As we have in years past, council will likely ask the District's finance team to chop what and where it can even given all the preparation and preamble that has led us to this place.  [The District's budget survey was completed last fall. The service review presentations by all District departments, Sooke RCMP, Sooke Fire Service and service-agreement participants ended last month. And now, in the agenda for this meeting, council and the public are seeing the first projected tax increases for 2026. 

Ahead of us at near-term council meetings prior to the Province's May 15 deadline applicable to all local governments:  i) First, second and third reading of the budget; ii) the annual Community Budget Open House; and iii) budget adoption.

The Province is introducing an austerity budget tomorrow. Ideally, we should as well, however the needs of Sooke Fire and Sooke RCMP are critical to community safety as this council has strongly recognized at budget time since 2023.  
 

Backgrounder 
Who Gets What: Sooke Property Tax Bill 
District of Sooke - 45.4%
Provincial School Tax - 26.2%
Capital Regional District - 15.3%
BC Transit - 5.9%
VIRL - 3.7%
Hospital District - 2.7%
Municial Finance Authority - 0.8%


Sooke Budget 2026 Citizen Survey 
​- Budget 2026: What We Heard Report (public survey in summer 2025) + presentation 

- Fire Rescue Services: Transition to 24/7 staffing model — now 92.7% satisfaction, highest of all service areas
- Policing: Enhanced local presence and coverage — satisfaction at 80.5%
​- Bylaw Services: Expanded team from 2 to 3 officers, improving reliability and weekend coverage

"The District recognizes that the recent rate of property tax increases is not sustainable over the long term. This year’s survey asked residents to share perspectives on revenue diversification — how the District can reduce reliance on residential taxes ...  Strong support for:

• Shared revenues with other levels of government (e.g., cannabis and cell service taxes)
• Attracting new businesses to expand the commercial tax base
• Hosting community events to generate local revenue

"Balancing Affordability and Service Delivery
- Residents recognize the need for fiscal responsibility but do not support reducing service levels
- 40% of respondents said they trust the District to find effective, responsible ways to manage trade-offs

Community priorities:
• Expand staff cross-training to improve flexibility
• Share services with neighbouring governments and nonprofits
• Use technology and automation to improve efficiency

Residents emphasized that cost-saving measures should:
• Maintain service quality and responsiveness
• Avoid over-stretching staff or reducing community access

Frequently Asked Questions page from Let's Talk, Budget 
Example: Can’t we just cut costs to keep taxes low?  "It’s a fair question - and one we hear often. The District is always looking for ways to be more efficient. We’ve already made improvements, like offering more digital services, streamlining internal processes, and working with partners to share costs where we can. But the reality is, most of the budget goes toward people and infrastructure—the staff who provide services and the facilities, roads, and systems we all rely on.

• Wages make up the largest part of the operating budget. These are based on union agreements and reflect the cost of hiring qualified staff to do important work.
• Emergency services depend on having enough trained responders available when residents need them.
• Parks, trails, and roads need regular maintenance to stay safe and prevent bigger, more expensive problems later on.

Cutting too deeply in these areas doesn’t just mean fewer services. It can lead to:

• Slower emergency response times
• Delayed repairs that cost more to fix later
• Less safety and cleanliness in public spaces
• Higher staff turnover and burnout, which brings extra costs for recruiting and training new employees

"The tax increases since 2012 average to 4.3% -- highlighting that increases in 2025 (15.29%) and 2024 are not typical. Stabilizing tax increases and diversifying funding sources is a priority."

Taxation in Sooke since 2012 
Municipal tax hikes since 2012 total 61% ... nonetheless, to dive into the stats cited above, Sooke has the third lowest residential taxes on Vancouver Island. Sooke at $1,758 in municipal residential property taxes (for the average assessed property) is second only to Lake Cowichan ($1,593) and Lantzville ($1,744) in having the lowest bills on Vancouver Island amongst communities south of Campbell River. The median tax among the 25 jurisdictions cited in the draft plan is $2,524 (i.e., what folks in Port Alberni, Colwood, Central Saanich and Qualicum Beach approximately pay). Oak Bay tops the list at $4,976 per tweed-curtain household. Not that this alone justifies major local increases, of course. 

2025 - 15.29%
2024 ~ 10.53% (introduction of asset management reserve fund)
2023 ~ 6.99%   (launch of first phase of 24/7 RCMP and Fire service) 

2022 ~ 6.09%
2021 ~ 3.31%
2020 ~ 0.00%
2019 ~ 7.18%

2018 ~ 2.79%
2017 ~ 5.58%
2016 ~ 0.85%
2015 ~ 0.00%

2014 ~ 0.02%
2013 ~ 1.59%
2012 ~ 0.00%
 
2019-2025 ~ 49.39% 
2012-2025 ~ 61.0% 
 
Working five-year projections in the 2025-2029 plan 
2026 – 9.70%
2027 – 7.71% 
2028 – 10.72% 
2029 – 7.34% 
35.47% total 


Working five-year protections in the draft 2026-30 plan ... 
2027 - 13.46%
2028 - 15.55% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2029 - 8.10% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2030 - 4.17%
41.28% additional total 

 
Optional: Property Tax Deferment Program 
BC Tax Deferment Program
- Regular program (for people who are 55 or older, are a surviving spouse or a person with disabilities), or
- Families with children program (homeowners with children under age 18) 
- Eligibility requirements 

- Changes introduced in Feb. 2026 BC Budget
i) Changing the interest rate structure for the Property Tax Deferment Program from simple to compound and adopting a prime plus 2% rate for loans. Prime rate as of Feb 17 is 4.45% so with the above would mean a 6.45% interest rate.
 - As of this time last year, BC residents deferred $2.33b in property taxes (2024/25) vs. $2.13b a year earlier 

​- CBC coverage (Feb 17) + Blog article on the changes, March 2026 + Global News (April 2) 


Policing Services - Sooke RCMP 
See Committee of the Whole agenda, Jan. 19, 2026 for the power point presentation
delivered by Staff Sgt. Greg Willcocks 

Municipal Requirements under the BC Police Act 
15   (1) Subject to this section, a municipality with a population of more than 5 000 persons must bear the expenses necessary to generally maintain law and order in the municipality and must provide, in accordance with this Act, the regulations and the director's standards,
(a) policing and law enforcement in the municipality with a police service referred to in section 3 (2) [responsibilities of Provincial and municipal governments for providing policing and law enforcement services] of sufficient numbers (i) to adequately enforce municipal bylaws, the criminal law and the laws of British Columbia, and (ii) to maintain law and order in the municipality,
(b) adequate accommodation, equipment and supplies for (i) the operations of and use by the police service required under paragraph (a), and (ii) the detention of persons required to be held in police custody other than on behalf of the government, and
(c) the care and custody of persons held in a place of detention required under paragraph (b) (ii).
(1.1) The duties of a municipality under subsection (1) of this section include the duty set out in section 4.03 to use and pay for specialized services provided by a specialized service provider.
(2) If, due to special circumstances or abnormal conditions in a municipality, the minister believes it is unreasonable to require a municipality to provide policing or law enforcement under subsection (1), the minister may provide policing or law enforcement in the municipality, subject to the terms the Lieutenant Governor in Council approves.
The Province can step in and order municipalities to ensure sufficient policing budgets (2022 Esquimalt example) 


Current Staffing 
- 14 municipal officers (budgeted strength)
- 10.92 Full-Time Equivalent employees as of Dec. 31, 2025 (due to extended leave, sick leave, etc.) 
- 18 authorized positions*
-  6 provincial officers (to cover regional responsibilities as far west as Port Renfrew)

- Sooke RCMP is undertaking a Core Policing Service Review. 
- Police Resources in BC (2024) 
 
* Definition: "Authorized strength represents the maximum number of positions that the detachment or department has been authorized to fill as of December 31 of each calendar year. The authorized strength for both municipal police units (RCMP) and municipal police department jurisdictions represents the number of sworn officers/members and sworn civilian officers/members assigned to a detachment or department, but does not include non-sworn civilian support staff, bylaw enforcement officers, the RCMP Auxiliary program or municipal police department reserve police officers." 

Trends in Sooke Municipal RCMP Budget 
- $1.2m in 2010 (70% cost share with the Province as per the BC Police Act based on a community's population size) 
- $2m in 2017
- $3.02m in 2023 (90% cost share as population exceeds 15k) 
- $3.99m in 2025 (includes $684k increase last year) 
- $6.2m projected in 2029 according to the current Five-Year Financial Plan 

Approx. 400% increase since 2015

2025 expenditures included ... 
- New vehicles - $202k
- Radio communications systems - $22k 
- Computer equipment - $60k 
- Office workstation upgrades - $50k 

2026 Budget Ask
-- Increase budgeted officers from 14 to 16 officers.
* This will budget for the GIS position and one front line general duty position (2025).
* Increase authorized officers from 18 to 20 officers.
* Both these officers will be front line policing (one being a supervisor).

- Authorize the creation of a detachment municipal manager.
- Authorize the creation of GIS disclosure clerk.
* This is the minimum amount necessary to prevent service reductions in 2026.

Sooke RCMP COW Report 
(see agenda, pp. 7-53)
* "The budget plan addresses the two primary directions from the residents of Sooke which are: maintain strong public safety by strengthening police while balancing costs.
* Creates a safer environment for the officers with better access to backup so they can better manage call volume and high-risk situations. Also supports member wellness.
* Allows the detachment to better respond to critical incidents in Sooke.
* Allow the detachment to continue to address the growing rate of serious crime and overall calls for service with an emphasis on front line policing (boots on the ground).
* Significantly reduces risk of being over budget in 2026 (reduction of 1 million dollar gap).
* Provides critical administrative support for the officers and allows for the detachment to remain open.

* The detachment will continue to focus on maintaining safe roads while increasing our presence on the roads and coming back to a focus on impaired driving, speeding, and school zone enforcement." 

Rationales 
- Policing staff in Sooke has increased 27% since 2010 vs. population increase of 62% (11 officers then, 14 now) 
- Detachment switched to 24/7 policing due to increase in provincial officers 
- Struggling to maintain basic services due to population increase and accelerated service calls  
- Cop to Pop ratio is "dangerous for the public and the RCMP officers who serve here." 
- "There is a narrow window to avoid service cuts in 2026 with the proposed budget plan." 
- "Overtime will continue to be high to maintain minimum levels" 
- "Without action, we would be putting additional pressure on future councils and budgetary years to close the gap." 

Sooke – 2025 Cop/Pop Ratio
- 1:1,250 ... one officer per 1,250 residents, second highest ratio in BC
- Victoria ~ 1:472
- Langford ~ 1:788
- Colwood ~ 1:939
- North Saanich ~ 1:1103

- Without new hires, Sooke will be 1:1,484 in 2030
- Cost per capita for Sooke taxpayers is $203 per year 
- Central Saanich with similar population has 23 officers at $284 per capita 

Call for Service Trend 
- up 23% from 2023 and 14% from 2024
- Sooke RCMP on pace for approx. 6,686 calls this year (5,288 or 79%) in Sooke
- Sooke has the fourth highest call volume in the CRD in 2025 and the largest increase in calls for service 
 
Crime Severity Index 
- The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a measurement used by Statistics Canada to track changes in the level of severity of police-reported crime. In B.C., recent data from 2026 shows a significant 11% drop in the province's CSI for 2024, the largest decrease in the country. 
- CSI index in Sooke = 79.5 (up 44% since 2020) 
- BC average is 92.98
- CSI rises when major criminal activity is apprehended; the District established a General Investigative Services (GIS) unit in 2024 that has cracked major cases, hence increasing our indexed number. 
- In smaller municipalities a few serious incidents can dramatically inflate CSI as the index is scaled by population 
- The CSI does not include calls for non-criminal matters (mental health, traffic, missing persons)
​- An increase in the CSI may actually reflect better policing or improved reporting methods (such as new online tools) rather than more actual crime.

Budget 2026 Community Survey 
- " Support for RCMP: 63% of respondents indicated they somewhat or strongly support increased investment, with 42% strongly supportive before a tax value was applied.

Fire Rescue Services Plan 
"The Fire Master Plan recommends adding two full-time firefighters per year over the next three years to improve response times and maintain safety standards. Support: 65% of respondents indicated they somewhat or strongly support this investment, with 31% strongly supportive." 


Issue: Organized Crime in Sooke 
- Organized drug trafficking and weapons 
- Sexual exploitation investigation 
- Youth assault 
- add media clips 

​Issue: Proactive vs. Reactive Policing
Because of funding shortfalls and recruitment issues, some BC municipalities have been forced to shift from proactive to reactive policing services … Prince George, Cranbrook, Terrace are three examples.  There is currently a 20% RCMP staffing vacancy rate across BC. 

Calls that are impacted under reactive policing model 
- Property crimes (minor) 
- Non-emergency traffic issues 
- Proactive patrols – foot and bike patrols that deter crime and social issues 
- Wellness checks 
- Administrative and low-priority disturbances 
 
Community Impacts 
- increased dispatch wait times
- erosion of public trust 
- burnout and safety risks to officers
- delayed investigations 
- resource strains on small municipalities 
 
Dangers of the reactive model 
 - property crime becomes normalized 
- small stuff escalates
- upstream intervention and determent 
- trust goes down when you call emergency lines and nobody shows up 

Triage and Prioritization of Calls
- While the RCMP processes all calls for service, officers do not necessarily respond in person to every call they receive. The RCMP uses a triaging system, similar to a hospital emergency room, to prioritize urgent incidents over non-urgent matters to ensure resources are used effectively. 

 
Possible Community Initiatives 
- Canadian Citizens On Patrol Program
- Block Watch Society of BC + BC RCMP affiliation 
- Business Improvement Associations – hiring of private security 
- Advocacy for integrated units: Peer Assisted Care Teams (PACT),  Mobile Integrated Crisis Response (IMCRT) 
- RCMP Online Crime Reporting Tool 
- Restorative justice engagements (West Shore RCMP example) 
- Advocate for regional policing models 

Option: Community Safety Officers (Tier 2) 
- One way to somewhat affordably ease the load on the Sooke RCMP team
- Enabled in 2024 amendments to the BC Police Act (see UBCM release) 
- A new class of peace officers to work in conjunction with police 
- Salary: $70k (Saanich) … less than half the price of an RCMP officer (now factored all-in at $260k) 
​- Examples: Langford, Saanich and Delta 
- Cannot issue speeding tickets 
- Cannot conduct field sobriety tests 
- CSOs free up RCMP time from everyday tasks so that RCMP officers can focus on higher-risk work 

Potential CSO duties:
1. Community patrols – visible foot, bike and vehicle patrols 
2. Administrative support – document service, front-desk inquiries and taking reports for minor incidents
3. Operational support – crime scenes, traffic patrol, detention guard duties
4. Focused engagement in schools, care facilities and transit hubs 
5. Limited peace officer powers: lower-risk functions 
6. Sooke Shelter and Drennan St. calls 
7. EMCS School Police Liaison Officer role 
8. Administrative and other support requested by Sooke RCMP 

Additional RCMP Cost Pressures 
* "Local Governments Advised to Prepare for RCMP Collective Bargaining Settlement" - UBCM, Feb. 4, 2026 
<clip> "The second RCMP Collective Agreement, which included a 4% annual salary increase for two years, expired on March 31, 2025. Based on the timelines outlined in the second Collective Agreement, the National Police Federation could submit a notice to bargain as early as December 2024, which it did. Bargaining has picked up since the April 2025 federal election, but an agreement has not yet been reached.

Local governments continue to emphasize the importance of cost containment, given the rising cost of RCMP policing. The 2024 Police Resources in British Columbia publication notes that BC local governments over 5,000 in population spent $855.5 million on RCMP policing in 2024. This represents an increase of approximately 10% ($76.4 million) compared to the previous year. This amount does not include costs incurred as part of the Surrey Police Model Transition or by local governments under 5,000 in population, who contribute through the Police Tax.

Although the federal government has been unwilling to meet directly with UBCM and the BC Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee, the cost concerns expressed by local governments, including members of the CMC, have been acknowledged." 

Archive of my earlier budget posts 
- Budget 2025
- Budget 2024
- Budget 2023 
​- Budget 2022
- 2020/21
- CRD (2019)
- Budget 2019

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