A “Special Committee of the Whole” meeting was held on November 4 during which an approach to reducing the property tax impact on the City’s residents and businesses was discussed.

The Mayor offered the following motion for consideration:

Council direct staff to:

(1) bring forward options to reduce the city’s portion of the 2025 and 2026 property tax increase to 4%, 5%, 6% and/or 7% by:

1. 1. focussing on reducing services/programs that are property tax funded
   2. focussing on services/programs that are ongoing
   3. avoiding adding new services/program/assets
   4. avoiding expanding services/program/assets
   5. avoiding negatively impacting existing assets and increase deferred maintenance
   6. pausing actioning new/expanded initiatives to reduce tax increase or avoid an additional tax increase, even if previously directed by Council, and 

(2) report back to Council on the implications of adjusting the ratio of the “Business and Other” tax class from 3.67 to 3, and or 2.5, as compared to the Residential rate. 

Please note that the percentages in this motion refer only to the city component of the budget.  The City Municipal property tax is only part of the property taxes home owners pay. Other components include School, CRD, BC Transit and other small levies. Looking at my personal 2024 Property Tax Notice, about 65% of the total is attributed to the municipality (City), 23% are BC School taxes, 7% goes to the CRD and 5% to BC Transit. While the VicPD (police) budget ultimately falls within the City’s municipal budget, the motion and consideration of November 4 did NOT include the VicPD budget which will be discussed in a few days.

During the November 4 meeting, staff had anticipated that the budget scenarios would be presented to Council at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for November 19.  Due to the complexities of producing scenarios, the Staff report back to Council has been shifted to December 12.  These alternate budget proposals are expected to be posted on-line on December 6 as part of the December 12 Agenda.   

As you review the documents, please keep in mind that the Province’s responsibilities include housing and medical services.  The City’s primary responsibilities are City infrastructure, City owned structures, and public safety.

To ensure inclusion of your opinion in the City’s compilation of feedback, please send your submission to legislativeservices@victoria.ca. In addition to the Legislative Services email, you may wish to also send your submission to Councillors via Councillors@victoria.ca or to the Councillor liaison for your neighbourhood (liaison and contact information here).    

 Contributions to the call for public input, which is to summarised for Council, must be submitted by December 20.  The final Bylaw adoption will occur in April, 2025. 

Links to the budget discussions to date are provided below.  For a look at Councillor positions on funding of specific funding requests (for which staff does NOT give recommendations), I have included the link to a recent discussion of a fund which I have referred to as a “slush fund”. 

Links:

• Budget information posted on the City of Victoria’s “Have your Say”
• October 24: Committee of the Whole Item F.2  2025-2029 Draft Financial Plan (2025 budget)
• November 4:  Special Committee of the Whole
• November 14: Committee of the Whole Item F4: Other Guise Theatre Society’s request for a grant of $250,000 through the Major Community Initiatives and Events Grant program to refinance 716 Johnson Street.