The Comox Valley Regional District has approved its 2018 budget.
The CVRD board of directors’ approval includes a net operating budget of $70.7 million and a total capital spending budget of $50.4 million.
Board chair Bruce Jolliffe said the $121.1-million budget reflects the regional district’s increased number of services in 2018.
“From the 2017 to 2018 budget cycle, the regional district has gone from 100 services to 102,” said Jolliffe in a statement, adding that the goal of the board is “to maintain services at an affordable level for all residents.”
The budget marks a $3.14-million increase — or 2.7 per cent — over last year’s consolidated budget of $117.7 million. ($70.6 million operating, $41.6 million capital).
Jolliffe added that this year will be “a big one” for the regional district, with the CVRD’s new office building and water treatment projects moving forward.
“Both projects will better serve the residents of the community for years to come,” he said.
Alongside the water treatment and the regional office building projects, the 2018 budget reflects spending in various projects and services, including $5.4 million towards a regional organics composting project in Campbell River, and $7.2 million towards upgrades to the CVRD’s wastewater treatment facility in Electoral Area B.
Kevin Douville, the CVRD’s manager of financial planning, reiterated Jolliffe’s comments that capital and infrastructure projects are the main features of this year’s budget.
“We have a number of significant sewer projects underway. Hudson Trunk is just in the process of getting underway and the Greenwood Trunk Main is anticipated to start later this year, I believe,” he said.
“And on the general side, we have our regional organics composting facility project that started in 2017, will carry on through 2018 and into 2019.”
The consolidated budget includes general, water, and sewer funds. Below are some highlights of the planned activities and expenditures budgeted in 2018 as part of the CVRD’s overall 2018–2022 financial plan:
General Fund
Regional Organics Composting Facility – $5.4 million
Regional Office Building Project – $7.3 million
Royston to Cumberland Trail to Trent River – $500,000
Conventional transit 4,000 hour expansion – $93,000
Water Fund
Comox Valley Water Treatment Project – $3.45 million
Black Creek/Oyster Bay New Production Well – $640,000
Sandwick Waterworks Conversion – $1.08 million
Sewer Fund
Comox Valley Wastewater Processing Control Centre Phase 1 Upgrades – $7.2 million
Hudson Trunk Regional Sewer Line – $2.35 million
Greenwood Trunk Main – $6.0 million
Alongside capital projects, the CVRD’s operating budget expenses include land use planning, fire protection, electoral areas parks and greenways, building inspection, drinking water treatment and supply, the operation of the waste management centres in the Comox Valley and Campbell River, and recreation facilities.
For more information on the CVRD’s 2018–2022 financial plan, visit comoxvalleyrd.ca/currentbudget.
—With files from the CVRD