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The 2026 General Election takes place October 17. Information on voting, candidates, and key dates: sooke.ca/elections
This page presents information about Sooke’s municipal taxes, property assessments, expenses, debt, reserves and capital assets alongside figures for municipalities of a similar population.
Property taxes fund the services, infrastructure, and community amenities residents rely on every day.
This page provides context on:
Over the past decade, property tax changes in Sooke have reflected population growth, service expansion, infrastructure needs, and changes in service responsibilities. Recent years have been higher than the long-term average due in part to expanded emergency response service levels, increased policing costs, asset management needs, and new E-Comm 9-1-1 emergency communications costs.
Across the annual changes shown from 2016 through 2026, the simple average annual increase was approximately 6.26%.
Year-over-year changes have varied:
While recent years have been higher than the 10-year average, tax changes over time have fluctuated based on service levels, infrastructure needs, population growth, and external cost pressures.
Understanding What a “1% Increase” Means
A 1% increase in municipal property taxation refers to the additional revenue generated from the District’s existing property tax base.
In Sooke, a 1% increase generates approximately $144,000 in additional annual municipal tax revenue.
The dollar amount generated by a 1% increase differs between municipalities because property tax bases differ in size and composition. A percentage increase should therefore be considered alongside the actual dollar revenue it generates.
What Has Changed in Recent Years?
Recent municipal budgets have included changes in service responsibilities, service levels and infrastructure funding. The examples below describe several significant changes affecting recent budgets; they are not intended to explain every year-over-year change in property taxes.
Sooke’s population growth has changed how eligible RCMP policing costs are shared.
Under the RCMP municipal policing cost-sharing model:
After Sooke surpassed 15,000 residents, the District moved from the 70% to the 90% cost-sharing level. This changed the municipal share of eligible policing costs.
The District has also increased policing resources. The 2026 budget includes funding for two additional RCMP officers, including school and community liaison services.
The District has expanded fire service capacity to support 24/7 emergency response.
The 2026 budget provides for two additional career firefighters. Fire services accounted for 3.04 percentage points of the 2026 municipal tax increase.
E-Comm provides emergency call answering and dispatch services.
This service introduced a municipal operating cost that had previously been borne by the Province. The 2026 budget includes approximately $430,000 for a full year of E-Comm 9-1-1 service, representing 0.97 percentage points of the 2026 municipal tax increase.
The District owns and maintains infrastructure including roads, drainage systems, parks, trails, facilities and other municipal assets. As assets are added and existing infrastructure ages, the financial plan includes funding for maintenance and eventual replacement.
In 2026, Council maintained a contribution equivalent to 2.00 percentage points of the municipal tax increase for asset management and infrastructure renewal.
Asset management funding is separate from the accounting value of municipal assets or estimates of their future replacement cost. These measures describe different aspects of infrastructure planning and municipal finances.
Municipal budgets also account for the ongoing cost of delivering established services, including roads, parks and trails, bylaw services, legislative requirements and general municipal operations.
In 2026, 1.81 percentage points of the municipal tax increase were attributed to general municipal services and ongoing service delivery.
The adopted 2026 municipal tax increase was 10.5%. The components identified through the budget process were:
| 2026 budget component | Share of municipal tax increase |
|---|---|
| Fire services | 3.04% |
| Police services | 2.60% |
| Asset management | 2.00% |
| General municipal services | 1.81% |
| E-Comm 9-1-1 | 0.97% |
| Debt servicing | 0.08% |
| Total | 10.50% |
These percentages describe the components of the 2026 municipal tax increase. They are not the percentage of the District’s total budget spent on each service.
Population Growth and Expanding Services
Sooke's population has grown significantly over the past decade. As population increases, so does demand for:
Population growth also changes the District’s service responsibilities. After surpassing 15,000 residents, Sooke became responsible for a larger share of eligible policing costs, moving from 70% to 90% under the RCMP municipal policing cost-sharing model. At the same time, the community has been building more consistent emergency response capacity, including 24/7 fire response.
As the community grows, service levels and infrastructure responsibilities expand accordingly. Recent investments have supported more consistent emergency response, increased policing capacity, and long-term planning for the maintenance and renewal of roads, underground infrastructure, facilities, and other public assets.
Policing costs are set under senior government policy.
Under the RCMP municipal policing cost-sharing model:
After Sooke surpassed 15,000 residents, the District became responsible for 90% of eligible policing costs, compared to 70% previously. This represents a structural increase in annual municipal policing costs.
E-Comm 9-1-1 Emergency Communications
E-Comm provides emergency call answering and dispatch services.
The introduction of E-Comm 9-1-1 service added a municipal operating cost that was previously borne by the Province. This new cost pressure is now part of the District’s annual budget and must be funded through property taxation.
How Sooke Compares to Other Communities
The Province of B.C. publishes annual data on taxes and charges for a representative house in each municipality.
While there is no exact apples-to-apples comparison between municipalities, this information provides useful regional context for municipal taxation. Communities differ in their service responsibilities, infrastructure needs, property values, geography, population and cost-sharing arrangements.
Policing is one example. As Sooke’s population exceeds 15,000, the District is responsible for 90% of eligible RCMP policing costs. Municipalities with populations between 5,000 and 14,999 are responsible for 70% of eligible policing costs under the RCMP municipal policing cost-sharing model.
For a more focused comparison, the tables below show the general municipal tax portion only for all 13 Capital Regional District municipalities. This is the municipal variable-rate portion of the property tax bill. It excludes taxes collected for other authorities, parcel taxes and user fees.
Each municipality’s amount is based on its own representative house value. Because those values differ between communities, these tables do not compare taxes on properties with the same assessed value.
| Community | Representative House Value, 2026 | General Municipal Taxes, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| North Saanich | $1,598,220 | $2,171 |
| Sooke | $807,310 | $2,210 |
| Metchosin | $1,259,740 | $2,276 |
| Sidney | $1,069,109 | $2,669 |
| Highlands | $1,313,498 | $2,694 |
| View Royal | $1,151,900 | $2,699 |
| Colwood | $1,045,718 | $2,796 |
| Langford | $992,336 | $2,938 |
| Central Saanich | $1,178,286 | $3,347 |
| Esquimalt | $1,048,326 | $4,133 |
| Saanich | $1,293,249 | $4,235 |
| Victoria | $1,223,948 | $4,557 |
| Oak Bay | $1,973,082 | $6,749 |
Communities are ordered from lowest to highest general municipal tax.
The table below shows the dollar change in the general municipal tax on a representative house between 2025 and 2026.
Because representative house values can also change from year to year, this dollar change is not the same as a municipality’s adopted percentage tax increase and does not represent the change for an individual property.
| Community | 2025 | 2026 | Dollar change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Saanich | $2,059 | $2,171 | +$112 |
| Colwood | $2,678 | $2,796 | +$118 |
| Metchosin | $2,122 | $2,276 | +$154 |
| Sooke | $2,022 | $2,210 | +$188 |
| View Royal | $2,502 | $2,699 | +$197 |
| Central Saanich | $3,127 | $3,347 | +$220 |
| Sidney | $2,444 | $2,669 | +$225 |
| Saanich | $4,002 | $4,235 | +$233 |
| Highlands | $2,455 | $2,694 | +$239 |
| Langford | $2,641 | $2,938 | +$297 |
| Esquimalt | $3,675 | $4,133 | +$458 |
| Victoria | $4,065 | $4,557 | +$492 |
| Oak Bay | $6,179 | $6,749 | +$570 |
Communities are ordered from smallest to largest dollar change.
| Community | Representative House Value | General Municipal Taxes, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Sooke | $820,034 | $2,022 |
| North Saanich | $1,563,864 | $2,059 |
| Metchosin | $1,279,703 | $2,122 |
| Sidney | $1,052,989 | $2,444 |
| Highlands | $1,334,087 | $2,455 |
| View Royal | $1,132,275 | $2,502 |
| Langford | $985,994 | $2,641 |
| Colwood | $1,046,742 | $2,678 |
| Central Saanich | $1,175,181 | $3,127 |
| Esquimalt | $1,050,527 | $3,675 |
| Saanich | $1,284,451 | $4,002 |
| Victoria | $1,204,449 | $4,065 |
| Oak Bay | $1,939,831 | $6,179 |
Communities are ordered from lowest to highest general municipal tax.
These comparisons are intended to provide general regional context. They do not measure the cost of providing an identical set of services in each municipality.
Individual property tax notices vary based on assessed value, property class, parcel taxes, user fees, grants and other property-specific factors. Municipalities also differ in the services they provide and how those services are funded.
The figures therefore provide a point of comparison, rather than a measure of municipal efficiency, service quality or the appropriate level of taxation. The underlying comparison work similarly cautions that differences in services, assessment values, geography and other factors limit direct comparisons between municipalities.
Data source: Province of B.C., Municipal tax rates and tax burden, Schedule 704: Taxes & Charges on a Representative House, 2025 and 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were increases higher in recent years?
Recent increases reflect structural cost changes, including expanded emergency response service levels, growth-related infrastructure needs, higher policing cost-sharing after exceeding 15,000 residents, E-Comm 9-1-1 emergency communications costs, and ongoing asset management needs.
If property values increase, does that automatically mean higher taxes?
Not necessarily. Tax rates are set through the municipal budgeting process. However, when an individual property’s assessment changes differently than the average, this can affect the dollar amount paid by that property.
What portion of my tax bill does the District control?
The District sets and retains only the municipal portion of the property tax bill.
Property tax notices also include amounts collected for other taxing authorities, including the Province/school tax, Capital Regional District, Regional Hospital District, B.C. Assessment, B.C. Transit, Vancouver Island Regional Library, and Municipal Finance Authority.
Including these amounts on one property tax notice allows property owners to receive and pay one bill rather than managing separate notices and payments for each authority. The District collects these amounts and remits them to the appropriate organizations.
How does population growth affect property taxes?
As population increases, demand for municipal services and infrastructure also grows. This includes policing, fire protection, roads, parks, planning, bylaw enforcement, and asset maintenance.
In Sooke’s case, population growth has also triggered a structural change in policing costs. After exceeding 15,000 residents, the District transitioned from paying 70% of eligible RCMP policing costs to 90%.
It is important to note that residential growth does not typically pay for itself through property taxes alone. New neighbourhoods require ongoing service delivery and long-term infrastructure maintenance.
Sooke’s current tax base is composed primarily of residential properties. A higher proportion of commercial and industrial assessment can help broaden the tax base and generate additional revenue without placing the full burden on residential properties. Expanding the commercial and employment base presents long-term opportunities to strengthen the District’s financial capacity.
Contact Us
District of Sooke
2205 Otter Point Road
Sooke, BC V9Z 1J2
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm
Phone: 250-642-1634
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