2021 Budget Consultation

Staff began the Budget process for 2021 in September. Each department compared actual spending over the past few years to each Budget provision and estimated what Budget provisions will be required for each of the next five years. Staff first looked for opportunities to reallocate existing Budget provisions as a potential funding source and looked at property taxation funding as a last resort. 

Each department made Budget requests according to the service levels expected as per Council-approved Municipal plans and policies such as the Parks Plan, Financial Guiding Principles for Planning and Budget Decision Making policy, the Staff Compensation Policy, the Island Plan, the Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and the Emergency Management Plan. 

The Finance Department compiled and analyzed the impact of these requests on the Municipality as a whole.  Staff reviewed 2021 and outer year Budget pressures for both the Program Operating Budget and the project Budget with the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) in November. Subsequently, additional funding requests for the Program Operating Budget were prioritized by creating four scenarios to illustrate which Budget pressures could be addressed within the constraints of alternative tax levy increases.  Project requests requiring funding from Reserves, were prioritized based on risk and available funding in Reserves.  These scenarios, along with a staff recommendation for a proposed 2021 Budget were presented to Council at a Committee of the Whole meeting on December 7, 2020.