Islands Trust passed a budget just shy of $11 million for the upcoming year.
The exact total of $10.98 million, up from last year’s $9.7 million budget, is divided between an operations budget of $9.65 million, special projects totalling $983,000, and $347,000 allocated for the purchase of capital assets. In 2023/24 these numbers were $8.6 million, $651,296, and $134,300 respectively.
On Bowen Island, which contributes to the organization via a special municipal tax levy, this year’s payment comes to $391,260. It’s an increase of 13.1 per cent from last year’s total of $345,989. The number fluctuated several times throughout the review process, from 18.7 per cent down to 11.9, before settling at the final tally.
Bowen’s total is nearly double the 6.86 per cent increase of last year, which followed a four per cent jump the year before. As a percentage of the organization’s total budget however Bowen’s contribution is almost exactly the same, 3.56 per cent this year compared to 3.57 for 2023/24.
Of the 13.1 per cent, 12 per cent is expected to come from the existing tax base, with the remaining 1.1 per cent from new construction and development on the island.
Projects planned by Islands Trust for the year ahead include the creation of an accessibility committee and several land use planning projects. Many of these are taking place on Salt Spring Island, such as reviews of their Official Community Plan (OCP) and Land Use Bylaws (LUB), and a groundwater sustainability project.
Another major goal of the Trust this year is updating the group’s Policy Statement and Conservancy Plan. Funding will also go toward creating an online bylaw compliance and enforcement information portal.
“In navigating development of the 2024/25 budget, trustees faced tough decisions and found compromises,” said Islands Trust Council chair Peter Luckham in a statement. “This budget allows Islands Trust to progress work on strategic initiatives that are important to communities. We are so pleased to have secured more than $830,000 in grant funding for next year,” he added.
The Trust’s $834,000 in grants this year represents a record for the organization, previously set in 2022/23 with $768,500.
Other major projects around the Gulf Islands over the coming year include a review of Gabriola Island’s OCP and LUB, a housing access and affordability project on North Pender Island, and housing review projects on Mayne and Denman Islands.
