Thank you to Central Saanich staff for your hard work in preparing the District’s 2014 budget.
Notwithstanding this result, I did not support the budget because I believe Council’s direction fell short of what, in my opinion, is in the best interests of our community and the District’s fiscal stability. The 3.11 per cent increase approved April 7 is more than three times the rate of inflation for Victoria which has been less than one per cent since January 2013.
Our local economy is still in recovery from the global recession. Given this, I believe Council’s direction should have been to explore a broader range of cost-cutting or revenue generating options.
In future, I hope we will embark on a budget strategy that challenges us to keep increases to a bare minimum without compromising service levels. It may take more time and be more difficult to achieve, but in the end, I believe our community deserves nothing less.
Alicia Cormier, Councillor
Central Saanich