Tuesday, December 1, 2020 – The District of Sooke is hosting its budget community consultation for the proposed 2021 Budget on Tuesday, December 8th. There are two sessions available: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The recordings will also be posted after the event.
Community members are invited to bring their questions for staff on the proposed 2021 Budget which will be presented at the virtual open house. Presentations by staff will be broadcast live on December 8th via MS Teams: a morning session will begin at 9:30 a.m. and an evening session will begin at 6:30 p.m. To participate in the live session, please register here or email corp@sooke.ca. Residents can also submit their questions in advance by phone at 250.642.1634 or by email to corp@sooke.ca. A recording of the broadcast will be available on the District’s website and YouTube channel after the event for those unable to attend or wishing to listen to the dialogue from both sessions.
“The budget is a continual balancing act: we need to maintain core services while also responding to our growing community. In spite of a pandemic, our infrastructure still needs to be maintained and, as we heard through the Transportation and Parks and Trails Master Planning process, we need new infrastructure as well,” said Mayor Maja Tait. “We heard from residents through a survey earlier this year and this is another opportunity for the public to learn about our budget. This virtual budget open house allows residents to have their budget questions answered. I encourage all residents to join us on December 8th or take a few minutes to watch the presentation online after the event at sooke.ca/budget when they are able.”
The District of Sooke budget is used to provide municipal services and infrastructure that touch many aspects of daily life. These services include road and District maintenance, sewer system management, policing, fire department operations, bylaw, parks and trails care and development, and building and planning services. In addition to core service areas, the District also provides funding to local organizations for the benefit of the community.
Residents can also use the property tax calculator to see how the district used their portion of taxes paid in 2020.
This is the second round of public consultation about the upcoming budget. A Citizens Budget Survey was previously conducted in September, with results published in the October 21st Special Council Meeting Agenda.
The District also collects taxes on behalf of Vancouver Island Regional Library, Capital Regional Hospital District, BC Assessment, Municipal Finance Authority and BC Transit. The 2021 Budget Open House reflects the municipal operation only.
Media Contact:
Christina Moog, Communications Coordinator
Tel: 250.642.1634, ext. 678
Email: cmoog@sooke.ca
