Taxes for the average Sooke home are set to rise 15.29 per cent, prompting a mixed response from residents who had the opportunity to voice their opinions and learn about the district's new budget at a recent open house.
“Like anybody, I don’t want to pay more taxes, but I can see that there’s a lot we have to do,” said Susan Belford, a Sooke resident who attended the April 2 event. “We actually need to be paying more taxes than we will be in order to get the things done that we need to get done here in Sooke.”
Belford added that she wished the district had included more commitments to climate issues in the budget.
Nobody is thrilled about a 15 per cent tax increase – including Sooke Coun. Jeff Bateman.
“It hurts to see a 15 per cent increase, even given our long-term status as one of the lowest-taxed communities across the province,” said Bateman, who added that the response to the budget so far has been quiet.
“My friends at the coffee shop grumble, of course. But I think they do recognize it’s a good 'parent’ budget – policing, fire, asset management and the inevitability of staff increases.”
Many acknowledged the effort it took to create a budget that could meet the district’s needs, given its small population.
"It seems a lot of it is non-discretionary. We do have 24-hour policing now, we do have 24-hour fire services,” said Helen Ritts, adding she trusts council to make the right decision and understands that if the district wants more services, they won’t be free.
“It seems like they’ve done a pretty good job of trying to keep things in check. I think there have been years of zero or two per cent tax increases where people thought they were trying to do something kind for citizens, but it was just kicking stuff down the can.”
Even Ritts wished such an increase could have covered more ground.
“I wish we had more money for sidewalks and parks and recreation centres and things like that, but we just obviously don’t,” she said.
“It’s disappointing to me that you have to pay so much money just to keep the essentials, but it is what it is.”
However, some residents were not pleased with the increase or how the money is being spent.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Ellen Lewers, a resident who expressed frustration with the district’s current spending on parks, transportation and infrastructure, stating there was a greater need for roads rather than trails.
“We must be wiser with our money. If you have a household income, are you going to buy your kids ice cream every day and do all the things that they want? Or are you going to do what you need?”
According to the district, of the 15.29 per cent budget increase, 5.55 per cent will go to the RCMP, two per cent to asset management and 5.38 per cent to district operating costs, with further investment in transportation networks and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
District communications manager Christina Moog said many comments received so far have been less about the tax increase itself and more about who is paying for it.
“The more passionate comments haven’t necessarily been regarding the 15.29 per cent tax increase, but rather around permissive tax exemptions – where they are being granted and why,” she said.
Moog explained that such exemptions are often applied to properties such as non-profits, sports fields, churches and other properties that meet the district’s criteria.
She added that staff would explore amending the process through council to potentially implement a sliding fee scale instead of offering a full exemption.
Thirty-two residents attended the event, with the most engagement coming in the afternoon. Most who attended seemed pleased with what they learned.
“I think it was very helpful,” said Belford. “I wish there’d been more people here.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Lewers, who said she wished it had been better advertised, and Ritts, who felt the district had done a great job putting things together.
“I think it’s important that residents come to these events because we get a lot of our so-called news on social media, and it’s frankly not true,” Ritts said.
