RDN Budget Talks

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Learn about our financial planning and annual budgeting process and ask questions. We will be providing updated documents as they become available to help you understand how your tax dollars are spent at the RDN.

How you can be involved and find out more.

  • Stay informed and subscribe for project updates to this page. By subscribing, you will be kept up-to-date when financial plan and budget information is shared through our electronic communications.

Information is shown for each of the Electoral Areas and Municipalities within the RDN.

  • You can read the financial planning documents, to see what has been budgeted for your area, where the money comes from and what services you get.
  • Have a question? Register and ask us below and our staff will provide an answer. All questions and answers can be seen by all that view this project page.
  • Check out our videos sharing information about who the RDN is and how regional budgeting works.

Thanks for learning more about the RDN financial planning and budgeting process!


Learn about our financial planning and annual budgeting process and ask questions. We will be providing updated documents as they become available to help you understand how your tax dollars are spent at the RDN.

How you can be involved and find out more.

  • Stay informed and subscribe for project updates to this page. By subscribing, you will be kept up-to-date when financial plan and budget information is shared through our electronic communications.

Information is shown for each of the Electoral Areas and Municipalities within the RDN.

  • You can read the financial planning documents, to see what has been budgeted for your area, where the money comes from and what services you get.
  • Have a question? Register and ask us below and our staff will provide an answer. All questions and answers can be seen by all that view this project page.
  • Check out our videos sharing information about who the RDN is and how regional budgeting works.

Thanks for learning more about the RDN financial planning and budgeting process!


Q&A

Ask us a question about the budget process.

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  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I am in the Rivers Edge subdivision and I see that 1.5 million is being budgeted for water system upgrade. I know there were talks of an upgrade but is this definitely going to happen now and the big question how does this affect my taxes, will it be paid for by our community alone? Are we eligible for any government infrastructure grants for this? Thank you.

    notopool asked 9 months ago

    This project was deferred to 2024 by the RDN Board. In 2024, we plan to hold a referendum in the Rivers Edge Water Service Area to approve or reject the borrowing needed to construct the upgrade. If successful, we would start the construction in late 2024 or early 2025. We are eligible for senior government grants and will apply for any available. Currently there are no applicable grant programs. If the RDN does not receive a grant, the total cost will be borne by the residents of the Rivers Edge Water Service Area via a long-term loan.

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    I am a resident of the Rivers Edge subdivision . I have noticed the budget plan for our area shows a significant increase in capital plan for late 2024-25 showing a taxation increase of ,if I'm reading it right 140% if that's correct it's unattainable . This increase is due to water system upgrade.pp My question's are why was enforcement not increased if the supply Was not meeting our needs ,as some residents do not follow watering restrictions? Or why were these users not charged rates fitting with over use such as BC Hydro's two tier system? Also why has the RDN not applied for infrastructure grants made available by the government for this project or have they ? Also we are told we are on our own for our water supply in this area , how can the RDN tax residents for a swimming pool in Qualicum beach when our basic infrastructure needs are not being met .

    Frisco1 asked 9 months ago

    The increase shown in 2024-25 includes the loan payments that would have been needed for the Water System Upgrade project if it went ahead. The RDN Board deferred this project to 2024. In 2024, we plan to hold a referendum in the Rivers Edge Water Service Area to approve or reject the borrowing needed to construct the upgrade. If successful, we would start the construction in late 2024 or early 2025. We are eligible for senior government grants and will apply for any available. Currently there are no applicable grant programs. If no grants are received, the total cost will be borne by the residents of the Rivers Edge Water Service Area via a long-term loan. The upgrade is needed to address a water quality issue, not a water quantity issue. Although Rivers Edge residents use more water than the average RDN user, they do respond to the call for conservation as we increase our watering restrictions. The RDN has had a system of stepped rates for water usage for over a decade - the more you use, the more it costs.

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    I am a resident of the Sandpiper subdivision (French Creek Service Area) who has been enjoying the water now supplied from the Town of Qualicum Beach since Nov/21 in an agreement that was not endorsed by the residents through a referendum resulting in the dramatic increase in usage charges of up to +300% for the 2022 billing year. The agreement also included the Electoral Area G $970,000 Community Works Fund that was used to upgrade the Town of QB system to increase the pressure required to service Sandpiper and improve their own system. This agreement resulted in the decommissioning of three wells that were supplying water not meeting the current Canadian drinking water guidelines thus reducing the operating costs for the supply system. Why if the operating costs for these wells and reduced maintenance of valves, hydrants,etc because of mineral buildup for our Service Area system has the budget increased by +350% for each of the future 5 years? We are now being double billed for usage which appears to be a method of trying to recoup the $970K Grant by approximately $115K/year which was not authorized by the residents nor communicated prior to the agreement being signed. I also cannot find a reference in the RDN meeting minutes that the agreement was approved by the Board. We estimate that the cost of water for 2023 will have a projected increase of more than 180% from 2021. A high consumer could now pay approx. $6.30 m3 for irrigation and household use or $3.85 m3 for the RDN average user in addition to our parcel tax which is the highest in the Areas. If the additional funds are required for another reason rather than "operating costs" why not call them what they really are for. ie contingency emergency and budgeted accordingly. The amounts required should be evenly charged to each property not based on RDN usage rates which penalizes families of two or more with teenage children showering multiple times a day. I suggest an additional charge of less than a $1/day per property in addition to the $2.40 m3 usage rate for contingency or? above the Parcel tax already in place. This could be shown as a separate charge on the property tax notice and we would all know where our tax dollars are being spent and we can personally budget accordingly. We need an explanation of the +350% increase in budgeted operating costs and the reason for double billing for consumption. This should be conveyed to every household in the Sandpiper Subdivision Thanks Dan Goodfellow

    D Goodfellow asked about 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question and we are glad you enjoy the quality water that meets the new drinking water standard. 

    Funding constraints have always been an obstacle to improving the water quality in the Sandpiper area with 240 properties. In 2019, Island Health Requested the RDN submit a plan to address the manganese issue, which culminated in 2021 with the bulk water supply agreement with the Town of Qualicum Beach, approved by the Board.

    With this agreement, the RDN has agreed to pay the Town of Qualicum Beach for upgrading one of its pump stations and constructing a permanent connection between the Town’s distribution system and the RDN’s reservoir. In addition, the RDN will contribute significant capital towards a future watermain looping project that will increase the resilience of the water supply to Sandpiper and several neighbourhoods in the Town. These funds, with a total of $970,000, were allocated from the Electoral Area G Community Works Fund and are not charged back to the residents.  

    In addition to the capital work, the RDN is still responsible for operating and maintaining the entire Sandpiper distribution system which includes a reservoir, a pump house, a 6.7 km distribution main, 26 fire hydrants and valves. Only the groundwater wells were replaced with the Town of Qualicum Beach water. The savings in operating costs from not having to maintain the wells are minuscule compared to the total operating cost of the entire distribution system. 

    The increase in user rate in the French Creek Water Service Area is primarily due to the $2.40 per m3 surcharge, which is the Bulk Water Rate that RDN pays to the Town of Qualicum Beach to supply water to the service area. The Bulk Water Rate is based on the Town’s residential water charges as applied to the average Sandpiper water use in 2020. This rate was established based on the Town’s Bylaws 753 and 493 and is subject to change as the Town’s bylaws are updated. 

    Additionally, the RDN Board adopted the amendment in the French Creek Water Services Fees and Charges Bylaw in 2022. Bylaw 1655 uses a step rate structure to establish a variable user fee which increases with water usage. As per the revised rate structure, users pay $1.00 per m3 in 2023 compared to $1.14 in 2022 for up to 0.70 m3 of daily water usage. The average water consumption for this service area is approximately 0.53 mper day. So, unless there is a significant increase in water usage (i.e. more than 0.7 m3 of daily usage), the variable user fee is expected to be lower.  However, the French Creek Services Area residents are still to pay the additional $2.4 per m3 surcharge of water supplied by the Town of Qualicum Beach.

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    I realise this is likely not the correct place for this, but I can find no other way so please forward this to the correct place or send me a link to the correct place. I am a member of the South forks community. We are trying to get a resolution to our long standing fireball project. We are now being told the RDN has approved a 20 thousand dollar feasibility study in part in a new fire hall they know full well we cannot afford. Please do not waste our money.. All we can afford is the building as proposed twenty years ago before the goal posts were moved way out of our reach. I I am on the Extension fire dept and know all we need is a garage to park a pumped truck in so we can respond with other fire personal in this area in a timely way.. All training, maintenance, tank filling, etc that needs to be done would be carried out at the Extension fire hall.. It would improve coverage for the whole Extension fire area without wasting money on a study we don't need about a fire hall we can't afford.

    S. Wray asked about 2 years ago

    The formal feasibility study will develop options for the use of the funds including potential fire hall designs and a storage garage or ultimately cancelling the initiative altogether and the process for returning the funds.  The options will consider implications and costs followed by a public engagement process.  A “Get Involved” RDN webpage will be created as part of the project to advertise the feasibility study and provide ongoing information in addition to the public engagement process to keep all residents informed and provide an opportunity for engagement with the participating area.  The study maps a path forward to bring a resolution to this long standing challenge.

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    I would like a detailed breakdown of the budget for the potential stairs being built between Maple lane and Degnen Bay road on Gabriola island and are all environmental impact studies being included in the budget with regard to marine intensification and density of recreational boats moored in Degnen Bay

    DegnenBay asked over 2 years ago

    The proposed Degnan Bay to Maple Lane stairs project cost breakdown is estimated at $8,000 for professional fees and $27,000 for construction. This proposed project is planned for 2023 and is pending the approval from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. 

    The proposed project does not include conducting environmental impact studies with regard to marine intensification and density of recreational boats moored in Degnen Bay.

Page last updated: 17 Jan 2024, 11:41 AM