Tuesday, January 2, 2024 – Welcome to the start of a new year! As we look forward to what the future holds for our community, I am honoured to continue working in service of Sooke. I feel the hope and optimism that is set to unfold as ongoing progress is made in our growing community.
Please join me, along with your Sooke Council, for coffee and light refreshments at Sooke municipal hall in Council Chambers on January 29th, 10:00am-11:30am, as we welcome the beginning of the New Year!
As 2024 gets started, in addition to welcoming you to the municipal hall for a casual gathering, I am pleased to share what is known right now about the year ahead.
The executive search for a new Chief Administrative Officer continues, a clear path on the development of our strategic plan is emerging and major capital works are ongoing.
Significant progress on the Church/Throup Roundabout is being made.
We’ll soon be breaking ground on Charters Road construction.
Little River Crossing is reaching final design.
These numerous, critical, projects are being realized with utmost fiscal responsibility thanks to successful grant applications. Every effort is made to extend your tax dollars as far as possible with several million dollars in third-party funding from the federal and provincial governments supporting these works.
Finalizing Budget 2024 is a key priority and one that is informed by your input! I am thankful for residents’ participation and proud to emphasize, yet again, how your involvement lays the foundation for our budget development.
Through your budget survey participation, we heard that safely getting around town is a priority for you, and that traffic planning and management (including road maintenance), emergency response services and parks and greenspaces (including care for the environment) are also among the items of most significance for you.
We are ensuring your priorities are reflected in the budget and resourced appropriately as we respond to meet the needs of today, while also planning for the future.
In planning for the future, we are looking to develop a sustainable asset management strategy that alleviates financial hardship as infrastructure, such as bridges, roads and pipes, age.
We are working with the province to make improvements to local healthcare services and your Council is keenly advocating on your behalf to lessen increasing cost pressures affecting local governments, such as E-Comm (911) and resourcing related to BC Ambulance.
We are also understanding more about what new provincial zoning regulations will mean for Sooke. We are looking at where the infrastructure is available to support four-units on single-family lots (per the provincial regulations) and where is it not as we explore criteria for exemptions to the regulations.
A lot is happening in Sooke and I encourage you to stay informed.
Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter if you have not yet done so.
Join public meetings – in person or virtually. Recordings of all Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are available on our YouTube channel. Sign up to receive meeting notifications and see agendas and minutes, along with the 2024 meeting calendar at sooke.ca/meetings.
Your voice matters and your Council is listening. By working together, we will enhance Sooke and the quality of life for everyone.
As you embrace the New Year, I extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones for a successful 2024!
Warm regards,
Mayor Maja Tait