September 27

NOTE: Those of you who are watching carefully may wonder why Electoral Director/Local Community Commissioner (LCC) Gary Holman is often our ASK Salt Spring special guest. This is a result of circumstances: Chair Earl Rook has been on a family holiday in Europe, Ben Corno’s work schedule has interfered, and Brian Webster is in the midst of apple harvesting. (And I, Gayle, am busy taking notes in preparation for the writing of this report.) That will change as Earl is due back soon, Ben’s work schedule has changed, and Brian’s apples will soon be harvested. So, please plan to welcome a varying combination of two Local Commissioners the second week of every month, beginning Friday, October 11. 

(Gary has been a consistent guest of ASK Salt Spring since it began fall 2019. If you want to check out reports of his visits – as well those of other special guests – nearly 200 searchable reports! – please check out our brand new website: asksaltspring.com.) 

This gathering welcomed Gary to focus on the 2025 Provisional CRD Budget. Before we dove into our discussion of the budget, a frequent bus rider reminded us that studies confirm that the more pleasant and convenient our buses, the more people will use them. She then detailed her major concerns: 

• Scheduling and pickups: Schedule changes have caused poor north/south connections, often causing passengers to wait long periods. In the beginning of our bus system, drivers were able to pick up and drop off riders at places that were most convenient to them. Now, she has observed that riders are too often not allowed to get on and off where they want.
• Buses: The slightly-used buses leased in the spring of 2023 are, in this participant’s opinion, much less sturdy. She related her concerns that they have inadequate suspension, causing them to rock, rattle, and roll as they journey on our rough roads, causing drivers and passengers to suffer. She asked the LCC to investigate whether better suspension and/or shock absorbers could make bus riding more comfortable. 

Gary responded that BC Transit could be queried about these rough ride concerns but also reminded us that our ability to affect BC Transit operational changes was limited. A service administered by the LCC, its responsibility is to make the policy and budget decisions concerning service and expansion. BC Transit, through a contract with a private operator, provides, operates, and leases the buses. Therefore, while the LCC can raise operational concerns, such decisions, guided in part by health and safety considerations, are primarily a BC Transit responsibility.

Gary told us a bit about the history of our bus system, considered to be one of the most successful systems in small BC communities. When Gary initiated voter approval for the service in 2008 (by means of an Alternative Approval Process or “counter-petition”), he decided to create a “stand-alone” system, which required approval of the CRD and Greater Victoria Transit Boards. 

Gary felt strongly (and still does) that having an independent system in which BC Transit covers approximately 50% of the taxpayer costs while we retain all of the fare revenue was the right choice for Salt Spring. Had we become part of the Greater Victoria regional system, Salt Spring taxpayers would have been charged the same property tax rate as those in Greater Victoria (which is currently at least triple the tax rate here) but with much lower service levels than in Victoria. We would have also been charged the gas tax levied to support the Greater Victoria system which was 3.5 cents/litre in 2008 and now is 5.5 cents/litre. 

As with previous budget discussions, the number of participants for this LCC budget discussion was discouragingly low. But, with final local budget decisions expected to be made at the January Local Community Commission (LCC) meeting, there is still time to make suggestions. Check out the proposed 14% tax increase for LCC services presented to the LCC by CRD staff at: https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/crd-document-library/committeedocuments/salt-spring-island-local-community-commission/20240912/2024-09-12agenda-provisional-budget-special-meeting.pdf?sfvrsn=c02c6acf_5. 

The LCC reduced this proposed requisition to just over 12%, but the LCC welcomes your suggestions. Please send them to saltspring@crd.bc.ca. All Local Commissioners will receive this mail. If you want to contact your Local Commissioners individually, they can be reached at:

• Chair Earl Rook, erook@crd.bc.ca,
• Brian Webster, bwebster@crd.bc.ca,
• Ben Corno, bcorno@crd.bc.ca,
• Gary Holman, directorssi@crd.bc.ca, and 
• Gayle Baker, gbaker@crd.bc.ca. 

Given the proposed tax requisition increase of approximately 12%, Gary stated that he felt little “excitement and delight.” But, despite his serious budget concerns, Gary remains optimistic about the potentially very good news of proposed partial lifting of the North Salt Spring Waterworks District’s (NSSWD) moratorium on new water connections. This relaxation is proposed for the Maxwell Lake portion of their system (https://northsaltspringwaterworks.ca/maxwell-watershed-2/). The possibility of a NSSWD connection for some promising Ganges affordable housing projects could significantly reduce their water supply costs and the complications of securing Islands Trust and Provincial approvals for alternative groundwater supply sources.

Concerning the LCC preliminary budget approval process, Gary agreed with LCC concerns about the tight timeline for such approval. Understanding that CRD staff have to spend months preparing a provisional budget before it can be releasaewd, the LCC still needs more time to review what can be very complicated budget documents. This year, the LCC had five working days to review budget documents, but final decisions on 14 delegated local services had to be made at one nine-hour special meeting on September 12. One suggested option would be to review the budget at one meeting but devote a portion of another meeting (possibly even the next day) to finalize and vote on budget choices. 

At the conclusion of this long LCC budget meeting, Gary voted against approval of the budget. In his opinion, despite a number of unavoidable increases, the overall requisition for LCC services could have been further reduced. Despite this negative votes by Gary (and Brian Webster for different reasons), the majority of three Local Commissioners approved a provisional tax increase of about 12%, subject to further review in January and final budget approval by the CRD Board in March, 2025. By far the largest requisition and increases for 2025 are the parks and recreation services, including the pool, SIMS (the former Middle School), recreation programs, trails, and parks. When library and transit increases are added to parks and recreation, they account for most of this year’s proposed budget increases. 

Some tax increases are out of the control of the LCC, including negotiated CRD wage and salary increases of over 4% and increasing costs for other services and supplies. Costs charged to us by BC Transit also account for some of the significant increases. Some other requisition increases are also unavoidable. Our public transit system (like others in BC) are still making up for the revenue losses during COVID. Our library needs additional staffing as volunteer numbers dwindle and its role in the community grows. (An example of our Library’s expanded role is that it is now one of our local cooling centres.) The need for funding for possible re-purposing of the Ganges Firehall (of which CRD will soon take ownership), and the first year preparation and operating costs for the Phoenix school site (soon expected to be leased to CRD by our local school district) are unavoidable costs for positive opportunities. The LCC also decided to reinstate Sunday openings for the Rainbow Road pool in response to public requests.

The LCC supported a staff recommendation for an additional administrative/technical position to help facilitate ongoing work and new projects. Gary has indicated he cannot support the request because of an already difficult budget year. He also cited factors such as:

• The dissolution of four volunteer commissions, 
• The recent hiring of a vacant engineering tech position, 
• The devolution of Saturday Market management to a local nonprofit society, and 
• The proposed establishment of an Electoral Area General Manager who will also be supporting the LCC.

To reduce future budget increases, the LCC will be pursuing opportunities for cost savings, for example heating and conservation efficiencies at SIMS. (Propane costs currently cost $60,000/yr.) However, Gary also reminded us that the LCC will be asking voters, possibly as early as 2025, to approve borrowing of up to several million dollars for needed investments such as repairing the pool building envelope and de-watering our liquid waste, eventually substantially reducing the cost of shipping of this waste off-island.

When the LCC made its budget decisions several weeks ago, information about budgets for CRD-wide or sub-regional services such as building inspection were not available. Since then, Gary has received a briefing about these increases resulting in a total CRD requisition increase of about 13%, excluding the aforementioned local admin/tech position and changes in senior staffing. Gary will soon provide a more detailed report on these proposed 2025 CRD regional and sub-regional requisition increases in a Director’s Report 

While there was not a lot of good news in this gathering, one participant noted that he was lucky that he could afford the proposed increases, and happy with the local expenditures and the LCC, which he called “a total blessing.” This sentiment about the proposed tax increase was countered by another participant’s sober reminder of tough times for nearly everyone with rapidly increasing costs that must be born by stable or declining incomes.

As our time together was over, we thanked Gary for his hard work. (Thanks, Gary!)  

Please join us this Friday, October 4, 11-1, in SIMS (the former Middle School) to welcome your MLA candidates for a casual and respectful conversation. 

Confirmed are Rob Botterell, David Busch, and Sarah Riddell. Amy Haysom, a recent entry to the race, has been invited, and we hope she will join us as well. 

Anticipating the possibility of more participants, we will be gathering in Classroom 1 across the Lobby from our normal gathering place near the Office and Boardroom. (There will be signs.) 

What would you like to ask them? 

• If elected, what would you accomplish in 2025? 
• What do you see as the challenges accomplishing your 2025 promises? 
• How will you overcome them? 
• What do you see as the most important thing you can accomplish for Salt Spring? 
• How will you work with Salt Springers to address our most important concerns?
• Will you come to ASK Salt Spring each month :)?
• And? 

Please join us this Friday to welcome your MLA candidates! 

And, check our our new website at asksaltspring.com!

Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, Ph. D., founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. This report has also been edited by this week’s special guest, Gary. 

Want to help? We welcome volunteers to join the team. 

Please join us making ASK Salt Spring ever better!

Big News: 

ASK Salt Spring has ongoing funding, and we just received a check for $1,000 to pay our annual rent of $800 and a few other expenses – like cookies :). A heartfelt THANK-YOU to the Institute for Sustainability, Education, and Action (I-SEA) and its Executive Director, Peter Allen !!!