The Regional District of Nanaimo board was divided in terms of endorsing the 2025-2029 amended financial plan.
The board initially failed to achieve the two-thirds weighted voted required to adopt the plan at the regular board meeting on March 2.
They needed to vote a second time after taking a 15-minute break.
The initial vote was 12 in favour and seven opposed. Those against included Electoral Area C (Extension, Nanaimo Lakes, East Wellington, Pleasant Valley) director Lauren Melanson, Area E (Nanoose Bay) director Bob Rogers, Area F (Coombs, Hilliers, Errington, Whiskey Creek, Meadowood) director Leanne Salter, Area G (French Creek, San Pareil, Little Qualicum, Englishman River) director Lehann Wallace, Nanaimo directors Ian Thorpe and Sheryl Armstrong and Lantzville director Mark Swain.
The budget was already amended from last Dec. 10, reducing the tax rate for 2025 to nine per cent from the project 9.2 per cent hike. To some of the directors, the adjustment was not deep enough.
Electoral Area H director Stuart McLean expressed frustration for failing to adopt the amended plan. He indicated it has been a long process where they debated and rejected issues.
The RDN needed to pass its plan by March 31 as required in Local Government Act.
CAO Doug Holmes indicated there is no more time to discuss items that would significantly impact the requisition rates in the budget. With that being the situation, the third option he said is the provisional budget the board adopted on Dec. 10, 2024 will prevail. That would mean a higher tax rate as the requisition rates would be more than $500,000.
The board decided to go on a 15-minute break to regroup. When they resumed, Lantzville director Swain said he is changing the vote as he does not want to see the situation lost on a technicality. Armstrong, Thorpe and Melanson also changed their votes as they don't see the situation that would significantly reduced the tax rates in the financial plan. They hope to learn from this and come up with a better process in October.
Rogers, Salter and Wallace remained opposed to the plan.
