Sunday January 18, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 1:23 pm]
News analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Municipal budget conversations are never simple, but they are essential to the long-term health of our region.
That’s a statement from Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO John Wilson this past week.
He was reminding business followers on the LinkedIn social media platform that the Chamber had last fall shared a statement clarifying their position on “fiscal responsibility, public safety, and the need to prioritize services that support a resilient economy across Greater Victoria”.
There is also the context of the Victoria Chamber recently announcing their new board for 2026.
“Our goal is to encourage constructive dialogue that recognizes limited resources while protecting the foundations that allow communities and businesses to thrive,” says Wilson, himself an experienced business owner and former Victoria Chamber board chair.
Wilson encourages municipal leaders to read the full statement (as first issued in October 2025 as then clarified in November 2025 & republished below), to better understand The Chamber’s perspective and the principles guiding their advocacy work.
Realistically, most municipalities are probably quite clearly — even painfully — aware of the need to balance essential services with all the other aspects of what residents and taxpayers expect as the livability aspects of their communities.
But it appears the Chamber is using this opportunity to offer their leadership role in the business sector, aiming to apply business principles to municipalities.
Fiscal responsibility is key in municipal governance but in some distinct ways municipalities differ from running a business — there are longer term goals and people’s everyday lives to consider, as well as the well-being of households, community groups, and the local business ecosystem. It’s the intangibles — as much as the tangibles — that strong municipal leaders present to themselves as worthy challenges.
In the process of municipal councils setting their 2026 budget strategies is the upcoming municipal election in October 2026. Mayors and Councillors who plan to seek re-election may make different decisions than if this were mid-way in the four-year election cycle.
Island Social Trends welcomes comments that readers may wish to offer on the November 18, 2026 guidance clarification from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber statement on Greater Victoria municipal budgets
November 18, 2025 | Clarification by Jim Zeeben, Communications Manager, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Limited resources require prioritizing safety and services that are most needed to build resilience and make sure arts and culture programs have access to sustainable funding
GREATER VICTORIA, BC – The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is clarifying its position on the need for local governments to reduce their dependence on increasing taxes every year.
A recently published column by Chamber CEO John Wilson issued a challenge to all Greater Victoria municipalities, calling for them to match the City of Vancouver’s effort to achieve a 0% budget increase.
This challenge is not an endorsement of the Vancouver mayor or any municipal political party. It also was not a prescription for each of our region’s 13 municipalities on what they can cut from their budgets to reduce any tax increase.
Regrettably, the attempt at a dialogue on fiscal discipline has been sidetracked by online commentary that clouds the conversation and deflects the vital importance of supporting business and our economy. Since our founding in 1863, The Chamber has been instrumental in shaping a strong economy that includes a thriving arts and culture sector. We also fully support many non-profit organizations — after all, we are one ourselves.
Some of the misplaced remarks we’re hearing are related to the common confusion about our region, specifically that the City of Victoria represents all of Greater Victoria.
To be clear, The Chamber does have a position on priorities for the City of Victoria that may or may not reflect priorities of other municipalities in our region: The Chamber has a mandate by the business community to call for urgent action to prevent further deterioration of downtown Victoria. This requires a fully funded police department as well as the full focus of City of Victoria staff and council.
Further to that note, The Chamber is concerned about the methodology used to prepare the City of Victoria’s 2025 Budget Survey. Downtown Victoria is the hub of our region’s economy. It is home to a critical mass of regional jobs, services and businesses. However, the Budget Survey overwhelmingly draws from respondents who do not own businesses (89%). The survey is also constrained by its representation of Victoria residents and is blind to the reality that Downtown Victoria serves tens of thousands of non-residents daily, and that it is the base for many regional employers whose property taxes will contribute a significant portion of the City of Victoria’s proposed budget — currently at more than $460 million.
The Budget Survey also stunningly brushes over the social disorder and daily distress that has seemingly become normalized by all levels of government. The survey does not reflect the real crisis that downtown is experiencing. That is a major oversight.
“Mayors and councils don’t have an easy job, but they do have a job to prioritize the stewardship of infrastructure and services vital to maintaining their municipalities,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “The Chamber, too, will stay in our lane as the voice of business. We believe that fiscal responsibility is key to a robust private sector that creates good jobs, attracts capital investments and provides the taxes needed by government to deliver sustainable public services.”
===== ALSO SEE: October 29, 2025 letter by CEO John Wilson
===== RELATED:
- Greater Victoria Chamber announces their 2026 Board of Directors (January 18, 2026)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BUSINESS | GREATER VICTORIA REGION | BUDGET 2026 | BC MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026