CVRD 2025 Budget (On-Line Link & Info)

Following up on Paul Duncan's comments in yesterday's e-spokes about the 2025 CVRD proposed budget...

If you google "CVRD 2025 budget", the very first link is to the CVRD website.

https://cvrd.ca/3595/2025-Draft-Budget

This web page has a detailed presentation of the budget, including comparisons with 2024 and a link to a short video presentation summarizing the budget.

Looking at the budget documents (see in particular Schedule E, "Average Home Tax Impact"), by far the largest budget increase for 2025 ($54 of the total $80 increase for the average Electoral Area G property) is in the costs of operating our regional recreation centres.

For example, the Cowichan Aquatic Centre, Cowichan Community Centre, Fuller Lake Arena, Cowichan Sportsplex, and Cowichan Performing Arts Centre all have significant cost increases.

Although I'm not an expert in the operation of swimming pools, arenas, sports fields, or community centres, but it does likely that these all have special costs which aren't reflected in the general consumer price index – things like liability insurance, water filtration/treatment for swimming pools, and ice-making systems for arenas.

In the end, we as a community have to decide what services we want and are willing to pay for. I think capping the CVRD's budget increase to the overall BC rate of inflation would likely lead to large service cuts at the regional recreation centres and elsewhere.

I prefer to pay an extra $80 per year (a bit under $7 per month) to allow the CVRD to maintain our valuable services.

Jonathan Thornburg 

(Thetis property owner and visitor/resident on and off since 1971).