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Sooke Council Adopts 2026 Budget Focused on Community Safety and Infrastructure

By District of Sooke - Apr 15, 2026

The District of Sooke Council has adopted the 2026–2030 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw, updating the municipality’s financial framework for the next five years and confirming the 2026 municipal budget. 

The 2026 budget prioritizes community safety, infrastructure, and the services residents rely on every day. For the average residential household, the municipal portion of the increase is approximately $17.54 per month. 

The increase is driven by the following key components: 

  • 3.04% – Fire: Additional staffing, including two career firefighters, and maintaining emergency response capacity 
  • 2.60% – Police: Two additional RCMP officers, including school and community liaison services 
  • 2.00% – Asset Management: Investment in maintaining and replacing infrastructure such as roads and facilities 
  • 1.81% – General Municipal: Ongoing operational costs and service delivery, including roads, parks and trails, bylaw, and legislative services 
  • 0.97% – E-Comm 9-1-1: Full-year funding for emergency call answering and dispatch services 
  • 0.08% – Debt Servicing  

“Council’s role is to balance affordability with the services people rely on every day,” said Mayor Maja Tait. “This budget reflects that balance - maintaining community safety, investing in infrastructure, and planning responsibly for the future.”  

Council recognizes that affordability remains a shared concern and continues to work toward reducing reliance on residential taxation over time. This includes advocacy to other orders of government for more sustainable funding models, including securing a more balanced share of revenues that better reflects the services municipalities are responsible for delivering. 

While investments are being made in protective services, general municipal staffing levels will see modest reductions through vacancy management. This includes reviewing vacant positions before refilling them and, where appropriate, delaying or adjusting hiring while maintaining service levels and safety. 

At the same time, the District continues to focus on improving how services are delivered - streamlining processes, expanding digital tools, and identifying efficiencies to make the best use of available resources. These efforts help ensure that staff time and expertise are directed where they have the greatest impact for the community. 

“Behind every service the District delivers are dedicated people working to support this community,” said Chief Administrative Officer Raechel Gray. “Through ongoing improvements to our systems and processes, we are taking a thoughtful and responsible approach to staffing - ensuring we are using our resources as effectively as possible. I want to recognize and thank our team for their professionalism, adaptability, and the care they bring to their work every day.”  

Residents are encouraged to report service requests and bylaw concerns online at sooke.ca/request and sooke.ca/bylaw. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, these tools help staff respond more efficiently and direct resources where they are needed most. 

Council meetings are available online at sooke.ca/meetings, and residents can sign up for updates at sooke.ca/subscribe. 

The District thanks the more than 1,700 residents who participated in Budget 2026 engagement. Learn more and participate in future engagement at letstalk.sooke.ca/budget. 

Budget decisions made today shape the services, infrastructure, and affordability of the community for years to come. Community input remains an important part of that process. 

FAQs

The Five-Year Financial Plan sets the budget for the upcoming year (2026) and outlines projections for the following four years. 

These future years are estimates that help guide long-term planning. The plan is reviewed and updated each year to reflect changing conditions, emerging needs, and community feedback. 

The 2026 budget includes targeted service increases in key areas such as fire and policing, while maintaining the core municipal services residents rely on every day. 

To support these investments and manage overall costs, the District is making some internal adjustments, including managing vacancies and reviewing positions before refilling them. As a result, most services will continue at current levels, but residents may notice some modest changes in specific areas. These could include reduced mowing frequency in select parks or occasional delays in service response times if vacancies arise. 

Overall, the budget reflects a balanced approach - enhancing priority services while making careful adjustments to maintain service delivery and long-term financial sustainability. 

Vacancy management is a way to manage costs by reviewing positions when they become vacant. 

Instead of automatically refilling every role, the District assesses whether the position is still needed, or if hiring can be delayed or adjusted while maintaining service levels and safety. 

The District continues to improve how services are delivered by streamlining processes, expanding digital tools, and identifying efficiencies. 

This includes 24/7 online service request and bylaw reporting tools, which help staff respond more efficiently and ensure resources are directed where they are needed most. These tools support faster response times and help staff prioritize work more effectively. 

Residents can report service requests and bylaw concerns online: 

These tools are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and help ensure concerns are tracked, prioritized, and addressed efficiently. 

Service requests also play an important role in shaping future priorities. If demand exceeds available resources, this information is used to help inform the District’s annual budget survey and ongoing updates to the Five-Year Financial Plan. This helps ensure resident feedback continues to be heard and considered in local decision-making. 

No. The District uses a range of funding sources to reduce reliance on property taxes. 

These include: 

  • Grants and external funding  

  • Reserve funds  

  • Development contributions  

  • Tourism-based funding (Municipal Regional Destination Tax (MRDT), a small fee collected from short-term accommodation stays and reinvested in the community) 

Examples include: 

  • Climate adaptation and hazard risk assessment (100% grant funding)  
  • Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) improvements, including rural residential and community signage (100% grant funding)
  • Community wayfinding, and park and trail signage (MRDT)
  • Veterans Memorial Crosswalk (supported through grant, sponsorship and Sooke Program of the Arts Reserve Fund) 
  • Public art initiatives funded through the Sooke Program of the Arts Reserve Fund (supported by 3% of building permit fees annually)  

 

As Sooke grows, demand for emergency services increases. 

Adding firefighters helps maintain reliable 24/7 response. Improved fire protection can also influence insurance ratings, which may help reduce home insurance premiums in some cases. 

Residents can learn more through the Fire Underwriters Survey and by speaking with their insurance provider. 

Asset management is how the District plans for maintaining and replacing infrastructure like roads, buildings, and drainage systems. 

Ongoing investment helps reduce the risk of costly repairs and service disruptions in the future. 

Council recognizes that affordability is a concern for many households. 

The District is working to reduce reliance on property taxes by: 

  • Expanding the commercial tax base 
  • Securing grants and external funding 
  • Using development contributions 
  • Leveraging tourism-based funding (MRDT)
  • Updating the Permissive Tax Exemption Policy to ensure a more equitable and consistent approach in how exemptions are applied across organizations 
  • Advocating for more sustainable funding models and a more balanced share of revenues from senior levels of government 

You can stay informed and participate in the District’s budget process in several ways:

  • Watch Council meetings and access agendas: sooke.ca/meetings
  • Sign up for updates: sooke.ca/subscribe
  • Participate in annual budget engagement, which begins each June through a community survey and pop-ups

Learn more and follow the budget process at: letstalk.sooke.ca/budget

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Sooke, BC V9Z 1J2 


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