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qathet Regional District finalizes budgets for 2019

Chair says financial plan has wide range of community benefits
Paul Galinski
qathet Regional District manager of financial services Linda Greenan
TAX PROJECTIONS: qathet Regional District manager of financial services Linda Greenan provided details for regional district directors prior to their adoption of the operating and capital budgets for 2019. Paul Galinski photo

Approval has been granted for the qathet Regional District (qRD) 2019 operating and capital budgets and five-year financial plan.

The regional district is statutorily obligated to adopt its annual operating and capital budgets by March 31 of each year. Its board of directors gave approval to the budgets at the Monday, March 25, regional district meeting.

“In the past four years we have heard from the electorate that they wanted increased services,” said qRD chair Patrick Brabazon in a media release. “In particular, they wanted more involvement in social, heritage and recreation initiatives. They spoke loud and clear during the most recent general local government elections, passing referenda regarding health care on Lasqueti Island and recreation on the mainland. It is a progressive budget and one that has a wide range of community benefits.”

According to tax rates supplied by the qRD, the municipal tax rate per $100,000 of assessed value will go from $55.87 in 2018, to $67.37 in 2019.

In Electoral Area A, the rate will increase from $301.57 per $100,000 of assessed value in 2018 to $337.11 in 2019.

In Area A/Savary Island, the rate will increase from $164.36 in 2018 to $188.68 in 2019.

In Electoral Area B, the rate will increase from $186.18 in 2018 to $221 in 2019.

In Electoral Area C, the rate will increase from $199.19 in 2018 to $232.50 in 2019.

In Electoral Area D, the rate will increase from $231.10 in 2018 to $237.03 in 2019.

In Electoral Area E, the rate will increase from $178.55 in 2018 to $224.34 in 2019.

The financial plan is based on projects identified by the regional board as priorities and the funds required to provide sustainable delivery of all regional district services.

The regional district provides 39 services to residents of its membership, which includes five electoral areas and City of Powell River. Those services are broken down as eight regional services, 13 subregional or shared services, and 18 local services.

Operating expenditures for the regional district in 2019 will total $13.9 million, $2 million more than the 2018 budget. Some of the budget increases can be attributed to the four new services started in 2019: heritage conservation, social planning, Lasqueti Island health centre and subregional recreation, adding approximately $500,000 to the operating budget. Regional emergency preparedness is another contributing factor, with major projects funded primarily through grants; this service adds $1.9 million to the operating budget.

The capital budgets for 2019 will total $6.9 million, a reduction from the $7.3 million in the 2018 budget. Main drivers for this reduction are that major projects such as Lund sewer and the Texada Medical Clinic upgrade were substantially completed in 2018, and some projects carried forward for completion in 2019.

qRD successfully obtained a $6 million grant to close the former incinerator site on Marine Avenue and to develop it into a state-of-the-art resource-recovery centre. The project will result in a clean site and reduced greenhouse gas emissions as the community continues to work toward zero waste. This project will continue in 2019 and is projected to be completed in 2021.