The Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) budget process is underway as the SCRD Board consider projects to maintain service levels in the region.
This year, the SCRD is focused on ensuring that staffing capacity is available for all the projects required to maintain service levels. Currently the SCRD has a high number of projects from prior years that have yet to be completed. With this in mind, following pre-budget discussions, several projects have been deferred to future budgets.
In the coming months, several key events and opportunities for community conversations on our budget are coming up.
Let’s Talk Budget
The community information space for this year’s budget can be found at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget. This page will be updated as the budget process continues. Right now, you can find information from pre-budget meetings that took place in October. There is also an opportunity to ask questions at any time.
Members of the public are also welcome to attend any of the upcoming budget meetings at the SCRD. Information about these meetings can be found at www.scrd.ca/agendas.
Fees and Rates
This Thursday, November 21, the SCRD Board will consider rates and fees for 2025. In addition to the annual utility rates for water, curbside collection and wastewater, increases are being considered for some of the fees associated with development applications and services provided by the SCRD’s Building Division.
These fees have not kept pace with the staff time required to do the associated work and are not in line with fees and charges in other similar jurisdictions. SCRD staff are bringing forward recommended updates to ensure that the applicant is being charged appropriately for these services.
The agenda package which includes further information and rationale for these fees and rates can be found here.
Round 1 Budget
On November 25 and 26, SCRD staff will bring forward budget proposals as part of Round 1 Budget. The SCRD continues to deal with decades of underfunding of major services including water, solid waste and SCRD facilities. This year’s budget will be reflective of these challenges which align with the priorities in the SCRD Board’s Strategic Plan.
Many of the budget proposals being brought forward are focused on maintaining reliable service levels.
Community Conversations
The SCRD is changing how conversations take place in the community in relation to the 2025 budget.
Over the past two years, the SCRD has hosted several information sessions for the budget. These have not been well attended and take a considerable number of resources to set up and promote. In keeping with the focus on best use of staff resources through this year’s budget, the SCRD will provide recorded presentations from key staff. These will be posted at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and the community can ask questions on that page.
SCRD Directors will be providing outreach and presentations in their respective areas to ensure that the community can speak directly to those who are making decisions in this year’s budget. These community conversations will continue throughout the budget process, up until the adoption of the financial plan in mid-February.
If you are a member of a community group or organization that would like a presentation from your elected representative, their contact information can be found at www.scrd.ca/electoral-areas-and-municipalities/.
Local Government Roundtable
In early January, the SCRD will host a local government roundtable to present the 2025 budget. This will occur prior to Round 2 budget, where final decisions are made on which projects will be forwarded for adoption in the financial plan.
The public is welcome to attend this meeting, and more information will be provided in December.
The best way to stay informed on Budget 2025 is at letstalk.scrd.ca/budget and at www.scrd.ca/news.
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