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VOL. 26, NO. 80
Trustees face $4M shortfall in budget BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
being forecast at $101 per in January. The Cedar, Yellow Point and Cassidy area property tax rate remains the same as in January, at $155 per $100,000. Wendy Idema, regional district director of finance, said the revised property tax roll, which requisitions are based on, is expected to come in March. The regional district is expected to introduce a bylaw on the 2015 budget on March 10, with final approval coming at the end of March.
Nanaimo school district trustees will once again be dealing with a shortfall as they work their way toward finalizing the 2015-16 budget. A $3.5-million shortfall forecasted last year is in line with current numbers, according to Graham Roberts, acting secretary-treasurer. “That amount is in the range that we’re still looking at,” said Roberts. “We’re looking at between $3.5 to $4 million.” An unrestricted surplus of $4.18 million from this year’s budget is being forecast, but whether that will be applied to the shortfall will be something that is part of budget discussions, said Roberts. Steve Rae, school board chairman, said although budget discussions are only beginning, trustees are aware that the district is currently in the red and will work through the numbers to account for the shortfall. A balanced budget is mandated by the province, he said. “Obviously, the last place I can tell you we’re going to look is the classroom ... I can tell you that the flavour of this board, that is the last consideration, is the classroom, and hopefully we never get that far,” said Rae. The new school board is also in the process of examining the 10-year facilities plan, passed by the previous board. The school district is holding a series of public forums to discuss the budget and the plan, with meetings set for Tuesday (Feb. 17) and Feb. 26 at Dover Bay and John Barsby secondary schools, respectively. The school district’s budget must be approved by June 30 at the latest, as per the B.C. School Act, but the school district aims for the end of April for staffing purposes, said Roberts.
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Great weather garnish
Yong Sook gathers dandelion leaves in Maffeo Sutton Park Tuesday when sunny skies gave Nanaimo a break from wet weather over the Family Day long weekend.
Regional district supports land trust’s funding request
I
FINAL BUDGET expected to be passed in March. BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
Funding requests from Nanaimo and Area Land Trust and Ladysmith RCMP Victim Services could be part of the Regional District of Nanaimo’s 2015 budget. At a meeting Tuesday night an update of the budget was given and the board gave prelimi-
nary approval to funding requests of $30,000 for the land trust, which will go toward its operations, and $1,000 for the RCMP’s victim services, as their work extends into areas of Nanaimo, including Cassidy and Yellow Point. Final approval is expected to be given at the Feb. 24 regular meeting. General services property taxes for a number of areas have changed as the budget process has progressed. While property tax for the City of Nanaimo was projected to be $100 per
$100,000 of assessed value in January, current figures have the rate at $97 per $100,000. Property taxes for Gabriola, Mudge and De Courcy Islands, and other parts of Area B, are currently at $90 per $100,000, after being projected at $89 per in January. The rate for Extension, East Wellington and other residents of Area C is at$142 per $100,000, a decrease of $6 compared to January projections. The District of Lantzville’s property tax rate is at $100 per $100,000, after