1085 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

It’s not quite only a downtown core. The downtown core is 15% of the municipality. There’s another 85% that isn’t downtown. As in, is Vic West demographically all that different from Esquimalt? A few years ago locals said Esquimalt was the most dangerous municipality.

Is Gonzalez demographically different from Oak Bay? Oaklands, too, is a mix of Oak Bay and Saanich. Most residents can’t even tell where Quadra Hillside ends and Saanich begins. James Bay is doing its own thing.

[lanforod]

Victoria should become Saanich's 51st neighbourhood!

[Tony]

 Downtown cores  restaurants, bars and entertainment concentrations bring many people and problems from outside any downtown core that a city has to pay for. In this region all of the downtown core is included within the taxation area of the city of Victoria.

 

In addition often the concentration of services for the homeless, addicted and those with mental challenges  in a downtown core and the expenses and experiences they bring are not shared equally with the surrounding communities. In our case like, Oak Bay  and Saanich as the current mayor has indicated.

 

Another chart of Taxes. 2024

 

https://www.forbes.c...axes-in-canada/

[Mike K.]

Downtown Victoria is the only jurisdiction charging for street parking, largely to non-residents, and those restaurants, bars and entertainment venues make big dollars from non-residents, that they pay big taxes on to the City. This then pays for the added services required. The CoV profits $10 or $11 million from parking revenues alone.

 

Downtown Victoria wouldn't like it if downtown Langford took a big chunk of that revenue away. Or would it?

[LJ]

 

 

Downtown Victoria wouldn't like it if downtown Langford took a big chunk of that revenue away. Or would it?

We will take the revenue, they can keep the bums.

[Tony]

Just providing more relevant information to the topic 

[Tony]

Downtown Victoria is the only jurisdiction charging for street parking, largely to non-residents, and those restaurants, bars and entertainment venues make big dollars from non-residents, that they pay big taxes on to the City. This then pays for the added services required. The CoV profits $10 or $11 million from parking revenues alone.

 

Downtown Victoria wouldn't like it if downtown Langford took a big chunk of that revenue away. Or would it?

 

What other downtown  cores do not do the same .........both benefits and costs..........Toronto certainly did it before the amalgamation of the surrounding communities and still does it for example.

 

My comments were for the most part about the challenges and additional costs  related to most larger city downtown cores.   How many other small area Canadian cities are as small as Victoria and also contain the downtown core for the larger metro area?

Edited by Tony, 15 March 2025 - 08:05 AM.

[Mike K.]

Downtown cores bring in substantial revenue, though, which we have to take into consideration when saying they are expensive to maintain.

Victoria imported its social problems, however. The results were fully expected.

[Victoria Watcher]

Langford council has approved its 2025 budget with a tax increase of 9.77 per cent for residents, which is less than what was initially proposed, the city says.

Mayor Scott Goodmanson on Tuesday says council “worked diligently” to reduce the budget following a Feb. 20 Committee of the Whole meeting where staff presented the draft financial plan, which included a proposed tax increase of 14.51 per cent.

Now, he says council settled at the reduced 9.77 per cent, adding that it “strikes a balance between continuing to invest in the community, prioritizing public safety, and maintaining service levels while acknowledging the uncertainty of current financial conditions and the need to be prudent.”

https://cheknews.ca/...r-2025-1244592/

[lanforod]

By Mike’s math, Langford tax goes up over 25% in 13 months.

[Mike K.]

Oh oh.

How did you land on 25%?

[Barrister]

Inflation is under three and yet property taxes are up by 10, in what world does this make sense considering everything else.

[Mike K.]

A few years ago we used to complain municipal budgets rose at twice the rate of inflation.

We really don’t know much about the spending of the governments we support. Surely we can reduce the budget by 5% over one year, no?

[Victoria Watcher]

Oak Bay council looks at 11.4% tax increase for residents

The district will vote on the hike at a future meeting

https://www.vicnews....sidents-7897102

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 March 2025 - 02:32 AM.

[Barrister]

If inflation is at 2.8% why are all the municipal councils coming in with these huge budgets.

[Tony]

One reason for increases beyond inflation could be that in previous years rates were lower than required to cover all the present and  major longer term costs.

 

Like often happens in Stratas where the monthly contingency fund fee contribution is kept low and then a special levies  or substantial Strata fee increases are required to meet expenses down the line.

[Mike K.]

Are you saying it is systemic financial mismanagement over the last 10 or 15 years?

[lanforod]

One reason for increases beyond inflation could be that in previous years rates were lower than required to cover all the present and major longer term costs.

Like often happens in Stratas where the monthly contingency fund fee contribution is kept low and then a special levies or substantial Strata fee increases are required to meet expenses down the line.

If this were true, then there would be previous years where municipal budget increases were well below inflation.

I’ll wait for your links.

[Mike K.]

The assertion is progressive politicians have been mismanaging municipal coffers, if I understand Tony’s point correctly.

[Victoria Watcher]

If this were true, then there would be previous years where municipal budget increases were well below inflation.

I’ll wait for your links.

 

I think that staff wage increases and progression of staff through wage classifications take up at least the inflation amount each year.  At least recently.  

 

For example:

 

• Specifics of the Increase:

  The City of Victoria council approved a 3.5% wage increase for its trades and services employees, effective March 24, 2025.
• Context:

  This increase follows a pattern of wage adjustments for trades and services employees, with previous increases of 2.5% on March 24, 2023 and March 24, 2024.

   

   

   

  Saanich:

   

  In addition to improvements in benefits and premiums, financial terms of the new agreement include wage increases of . 25 cents per hour plus 3.25 per cent (3 ¼%) in the first year (retroactive for 2022), 4 per cent (4%) in the second year and 3.5 per cent (3 ½%) in the third year.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 March 2025 - 07:00 AM.