The District of Squamish has passed an early budget for the 2022 year.
On Dec. 21, council unanimously adopted the 2022 financial plan, for the first time in recent memory, passing the budget before the actual budget year has begun.
Typically, the readings and adoption of a financial plan drag on well into the actual year they are scheduled to take effect.
In this case, the municipality has finished the job ahead of time.
"That allows our procurement to begin Jan.1, which means our documents and bids can be out in the market early, which gives us an opportunity to have more strategic bidding and more competitive bidding, which helps with our planning and our financial planning," said Mayor Karen Elliott.
"It gives our staff a whole year, 12 months of runway to complete their projects, which they haven't had before. They've had to wait until the end of the first quarter, almost, in order to get approval on the budget and get going."
The numbers presented before three readings and adoption were granted are the same as what was posed to residents during its Nov. 23 public meeting.
The new budget is asking for $34.2 million in property taxes, requiring an increase of $1.3 million dollars, according to financial planner Rolland Russell.
This amounts to a 4.1% increase overall. That percentage was calculated assuming population growth is able to create additional taxpayers to offset the increase in 2022.
Russell said that equates to a $91 increase per resident, however, that won't necessarily be the bill residents receive, as council has not decided the individual mill rates for each category of property.
Last year, the municipality toned down its intended tax increases to residents due to COVID-19, asking for a 2.1% overall increase instead of the 4.9% it had originally planned.
In her year-end interview, Elliott told The Chief that the municipality could not tamp down on taxes in the same manner despite the ongoing pandemic.
The reason, she said, was because of a slew of outstanding infrastructure projects that need major funding. This includes new fire halls and renovations to Brennan Park Recreation Centre and the public works yard, among other things.
Brennan Park is expected to cost $16 million, though the municipality is hoping a federal grant will pay for three-quarters of the bill.
During the three readings and adoption of the plan, all on council expressed some form of support.
Coun. Jenna Stoner said she was particularly proud of funding for the two fire halls and the public works yard.
The yard is expected to cost $11.25 million. The Valleycliffe firehall has already been under construction with a budget of $16.7 million, and $6 million has been set aside for the new Tantalus firehall.
Stoner also said putting annual operating funding behind the housing society will help that organization start on its mission of creating affordable housing for locals.
A total budget of $225,000 has been set aside to fund the establishment of a housing society.
Other councillors expressed support for the measure and commended staff for their work.
