Tuesday April 7, 2026 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The District of Sooke is holding a public Budget 2026 Open House on Wednesday April 8.
It’s a drop-in event (with no formal presentation) from 2:30 to 7:30 pm at Sooke municipal hall (upstairs in Council Chambers).
The District says the open house is an opportunity to learn more about the proposed 2026 budget, what it includes, and what it means for services in our community: review the proposed budget, ask questions, speak to staff and council.
Council is comprised of Mayor Maja Tait and councillors Jeff Bateman, Al Beddows, Herb Haldane, Megan McMath, Kevin Pearson, and Tony St-Pierre.
Anyone who can’t attend the open house can still send public input by email to budget@sooke.ca.
Community input:
Each year, the budget is shaped by community input.
Through the municipality’s annual survey and community pop-ups, more than 1,700 people shared their perspectives to help identify priorities and guide decision-making.
That early input has played an important role in shaping the draft financial plan.
Proposed increase:
The proposed 2026 budget includes a 10.5% property tax increase, or about $17.54 per month for the average single-family home.
The District of Sooke outline these items as driving the increase:
- 3.04% – Fire: Two additional career firefighters and maintaining emergency response capacity
- 2.60% – Police: Two additional RCMP officers, including school and community liaison services
- 2.00% – Asset Management: Maintaining and replacing infrastructure like roads and facilities
- 1.81% – General Municipal: Day-to-day services such as roads, parks and trails, bylaw, and legislative requirements
- 0.97% – E-Comm 9-1-1: Full-year funding for emergency call answering and dispatch
- 0.08% – Debt Servicing
The draft plan includes key investments in community safety, with new firefighters expected to start in July and new RCMP officers anticipated in September. It also reflects a full year of E-Comm 9-1-1 funding (approximately $430,000), which is now a municipal responsibility.
Council has worked through multiple budget scenarios over the past several months, balancing service levels, safety, and long-term financial sustainability in a growing community.
Opposition to the increase:
Not all members of Sooke Council are in favour of the proposed tax increase.
Councillor Kevin Pearson says the tax rate is still too high for residents in the current economic conditions.(More details to come.)
Local Sooke resident Matt Mortensen points out how people are hit by skyrocketing costs of food, fuel, and housing. “Under these conditions, any tax increase at all—on top of the runaway cost of every basic necessity—is financial devastation,” says Mortensen in a letter to media. He feels that “to achieve a sustainable tax rate non-essential projects should be deferred” and that the parkland budget should be scaled back; he also suggests freezing new hires and consider layoffs for non-essential staff.
“We expect our elected officials to prioritize community affordability over consultant fees and a growing bureaucracy. Sooke taxpayers are at a breaking point,” says Mortensen in his March 31 letter.
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NEWS SECTION: SOOKE LOCAL | SOOKE REGION | AFFORDABILITY