District of Tofino council is looking at options for how to balance its budget this spring.
Those options include dipping into the surplus reserve, budget cuts, deferring projects to the future and raising property taxes, according to Liviu Andrei, director of corporate services.
“We are looking at $887,000 to balance the budget,” Andrei told council during a presentation on Jan. 23. He added the figures have improved slightly since the first budget meeting back in November, when the deficit was $947,000.
Council is working on a draft financial plan for 2025 to 2029, which is not yet balanced. A 6.6 per cent property tax increase has been proposed, as has four per cent increases to water and sewer fees.
The tax rate is subject to change, Andrei said, per the revised BC Assessment numbers which will be available in late March.
Council heard from different departments about new and planned projects, as well as projects that were deferred or deleted altogether.
The new projects include two safety kiosks for Cox Bay, which will be located at the entrances to the Cox Bay trail and include critical resources such as a rescue ring, rope, an AED, CPR pocket masks, location information and emergency contact information.
Deferred projects include emergency beach markers, a Dark Skies Policy and a Zoning Bylaw Rewrite.
A public engagement event is scheduled for Feb. 6. from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre.
Council will look more in-depth at options to balance the budget during its third special budget meeting on March 13, according to Andrei.
A vote regarding the financial plan bylaw and tax rate bylaw is scheduled for April 15, with final adoption on May 6.
