With the proposed 2018 tax increase now sitting at 7.58 per cent, Sechelt council was set to continue budget deliberations at the March 21 meeting of the finance, culture and economic development committee.
The meeting, held after Coast Reporter’s deadline, was to focus on the sewer system operating budget and sewer infrastructure projects.
After some councillors expressed concern at an earlier meeting over the size of the tax increase, staff are also suggesting possible changes to the general operating budget.
In a report for the March 21 meeting, director of finance Doug Stewart outlines optional funding sources for a review of Bylaw 430 (Subdivision and Development Control), expenses related to the upcoming election, the Downtown Business Association’s WiFi project and the $20,000 one-time grant for the Seniors Planning Table. Those costs add up to $142,500, and Stewart’s report says covering them out of reserves could reduce the tax increase by 1.8 per cent.
At the committee’s previous meeting, March 14, councillors changed the capital plan by removing the proposed improvements to the Trail Bay waterfront.
The project, budgeted at around $174,000, will be put on hold to allow for more public consultation and creating a business case.
There was also considerable debate around taking two projects slated for the 2019 budget off the books entirely: a $130,000 gazebo for Mission Point Park and $180,000 to replace the float at the Davis Bay wharf.
Coun. Darren Inkster spoke in favour of keeping both projects active, although it’s unclear when the money might be available or where it might come from. “If it goes away, I’m afraid there won’t be much focus on it in terms of the plans that I’ve encouraged to facilitate this,” Inkster said of the gazebo project. “I will keep bringing it up, because we need this for our community going forward… I said a number of years ago this is the Stanley Park of Sechelt.”
Inkster expressed similar thoughts on the float, arguing that if it gets dropped from the list it might be forgotten entirely.
Coun. Alice Lutes said removing the gazebo from the capital projects list makes sense, because it’s one of the items that should be considered in a broad plan for the future of Mission Point Park.
Coun. Doug Wright, meanwhile, defended dropping the Davis Bay float from the list, saying it’s not going to be practical to pursue, and keeping it on the list gives a misleading impression. “At some point in time we have to start telling the community yes or no and not shuffle it from one year to the next to the next and leaving them with the expectation that at some point it will be done.”
In the end the committee voted to remove both proposals from the capital projects list.
