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E D I S IN K LOO ds Islan
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Editorial
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Entertainment
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Sports/stats
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NEWS
MIRROR
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Sooke is Selling!
3.125x1.2” Dimock
2013 Sooke Home Sales: 304 2014 Sooke Home Sales: 33 TAMMI DIMOCK
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
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Personal Real Estate Corp.
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Modest tax increase expected for JdFEA Pirjo Raits
Sooke News Mirror
Taxes in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area are going up, but not a lot. Usually the increases are 2 per cent or less, this year it may be a 3 per cent increase, depending on which area you live in. “It’s a very modest increase in the Juan de Fuca, there’s nothing left to cut,” said Hicks. Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Director Mike Hicks said he has pared expenses down as much as possible but, with the structure of the Capital Regional District (CRD), he has no choice in some line items in the draft budget. Hicks stated that JdF property owners are indirectly taxed through CRD staff for sewer. He said the folks in Esquimalt are just now getting the shock value of the “sewage debacle.” “They’re going to be in for bit of a shock,” said Hicks. “We don’t get big surprises.” All of the communities in the JdF pay a basic amount to the CRD. This includes such line items as: Legislative & General Government up slightly by $1,356; Regional Parks Acquisition up $6,175; Noise Control up
File photo
JdF Electoral Area Director Mike Hicks.
$8,137; Building Inspection up $2,705; Electoral Area Admin Exp - JdF up $10,100; Grants in Aid - Jdf up $16,650 with JdF Economic Development Commission down $16,779; Electoral Area ServicesPlanning (elections) is up $31,738. The total change is 3.06 per cent. When asked why the Electoral Area Services - Planning has gone up, Hicks stated, “Democracy is not free.” Meaning it costs to run elections for the Advisory Planning Commission and Land Use Committee, which are bonafide elections. He said the Electoral Area Administration Expenses went up because he set up a rainy day fund which he hopes he will never use. Hicks said in the past he used it to get signs made, engineer-
ing costs to move the Port Renfrew library and other things that are “out of the box” necessities for the JdF that do not fit into the service budget. One large expense in the 2014 draft budget is the new East Sooke Fire Hall, with an increase to that line item rising by $278,667. Increases were also made to the Shirley Fire Protection ($25,718), the Otter Point Fire Protection ($11,064), Port Renfrew Fire Protection ($10,706). Hicks said Shirley’s requisition is going up because they are putting aside money for a future new fire hall. Some line items on the 2014 draft budget went down slightly. Hicks said the overall assessments have gone down for property owners. The average assessment in 2014 is $388,851 down from $396,046 in 2013. “We’re pretty fugal,” said Hicks. There are approximately 5,500 people living in the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area which encompasses the area from Otter Point to Port Renfrew, and also includes the geographically separate communities of East Sooke, Malahat and Willis Point.
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Jack Most photo
Beautiful music, beautiful art, beautiful food
Mary Wolfe plays the harp at Appetite for Art, a new venture for the Sooke Fine Arts Show Society, held on Saturday, March 8 at the Prestige.
Night market proposed for summer months A summer market for food producers, artists, musicians, poets or tarot card readers could soon become a reality. The Arts and Beautification Committee has been planning a summer market which would be open on Thursday evenings beginning June 5 and running to the end of August. The market
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would be open from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The committee would like to see vendors from all across the region, East Sooke to Port Renfrew, set up their booths at the Sooke Region Museum. It was decided the museum would be the perfect location because of the availablity of parking, washrooms, kitchen and
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washing facilities. Many communities on Southern Vancouver Island hold night markets and they are increasingly popular. “I am so very pleased that the market is coming to fruition after years of discussions,” said Brenda Parkinson. The market is looking to include many aspects of the community in its inaugural
year. Volunteer groups would be able to set up to recruit new volunteers and members. The committee will be holding an information meeting for all those interested in being a part of Evening Market on Thursday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at the Museum Services Building. A discussion on all aspects of the market will take place.
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