The Cowichan Valley Regional District has passed its budget for 2025 containing a range of tax increases and decreases for homeowners depending on where in the district they live.
The electoral area Youbou/Meade Creek will see the largest tax decrease, $33.67, on an average home costing $1,047,7430 in 2025 while the highest increase is in the Town of Ladysmith which will have a $185.97 increase on an average home costing $702,932.
Tracy Bowen, the district’s chief financial officer, said in a report that the requisition increase for the 2025 budget is $5,316,615.
Bowen said that, as directed by the board, staff ensured that service levels did not decrease, and explored and captured opportunities for cost efficiencies where possible.
“Various capital projects were reviewed for alternative funding sources and others funded by borrowing were refined for expected implementation timelines, both of which resulted in decreased requisition,” Bowen said.
“Debt repayments were reviewed and adjusted to reflect interest rate and payment term changes. Funding of some operational expenses was changed from requisition to operating reserves where considered appropriate.”
Drafting budgets for the CVRD is a complex process as its annual budget is made up of more than 175 individual budgets.
The differences in tax rates across the CVRD stems mostly from the amount and types of services each region in the district has agreed to participate in and pay for.
This is different from municipal budgets where the costs are shared equally across the municipality, so coming up with a single definitive tax increase percentage for all areas of the regional district, as can be done for municipalities, is difficult if not impossible.
The impact on taxes for individual properties will also vary depending on the change in assessment for those properties relative to property assessment changes throughout the region.
Some directors on the board were not happy with the final budget, which was approved at the board meeting on Feb. 26.
After sharing with the board stories of people financially suffering in the regional district, Cobble Hill director Mike Wilson said he believes the board has not prioritized fiscal responsibility and continues to place heavy financial stress on seniors, young families and those who are working in minimum wage jobs.
“I will be opposing the budget on those grounds,” Wilson said.
Board Chair Kate Segall, who is also the director for Mill Bay/Malahat, said all the decisions of the budget have been made by everyone around the board table.
“We hold that collectively and we reduced the original proposed budget by $1.5 million, so it’s incredibly hard work and we’re all in this together,” she said. “I hear your comments loud and clear director Wilson and I don’t think that you’re alone, but we are all working together to do what we feel is best for our community.”
Tim McGonigle, mayor of Lake Cowichan, said he personally thought the board could have done better in the process, but he is not blaming anyone for the decisions that were made.
“I will own the decisions of the board, but I can’t in good conscience support the budget that has been presented,” he said.
The budget passed, with Wilson, McGonigle and Saltair/Gulf Islands director Jesse McClinton voting against it.
Tax increase implications in each area of the CVRD in 2025:
Electoral Area A (Mill Bay/Malahat)
Average home $948,290: Increase of $161.88 per home.
Electoral Area B (Shawnigan Lake)
Average home $1,023,152: Increase $140.21 per home.
Electoral Area C (Cobble Hill)
Average home $906,192: Increase of $132.81 per home.
Electoral Area D (Cowichan Bay)
Average home $779,868: Increase of $43.84 per home.
Electoral Area E (Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora)
Average home $776,822: Increase of $51.92 per home.
Electoral Area F (Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls)
Average home $860,229: Decrease of $12.38 per home.
Electoral Area G (Saltair/Gulf Islands)
Average home $785,280: Increase of $79.81 per home.
Electoral Area H (North Oyster/Diamond)
Average home $893,071: Increase of $124.73 per home.
Electoral Area I Youbou/Meade Creek)
Average home $1,047,7430: Decrease of $33.67 per home.
City of Duncan
Average home $580,944: Increase of $64.10 per home.
North Cowichan North End
Average home $744,160: Increase of $166.55 per home
North Cowichan South End
Average home $744,160: Increase of $30.94 per home
Town of Ladysmith
Average home $702,932: Increase of $185.97
Town of Lake Cowichan
Average home $596,683: Increase of $104.68
