Skip to content

Regional District of Central Kootenay increases budget by one per cent

Regional District of Central Kootenay board chair John Kettle said that he is satisfied with a 2013-14 budget...
42782crestonregional_district_central_kootenay

Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) board chair John Kettle said that he is satisfied with a 2013-14 budget that will increase by just over one per cent over the previous year.

“We worked very hard to keep the budget in check,” he said. “There are some increases, such as 25 per cent to the cost of water for Erickson residents, that I’m not very happy with, but overall I think it’s a good budget.”

The projected 2013 budget, expected to be approved tomorrow at the board’s regular meeting, totals $58,686,050, up by 1.14 per cent over last year’s $58,022,994.

“This plan is the result of the board’s ongoing commitment to serve residents in the most cost-effective means possible while delivering a multitude of services throughout a large and diverse region,” said Kettle. “We are a complex organization with growing demands to deliver more services and this poses a challenge as we prepare our budget.”

Some of the budget increases are the result of a corporate review that was conducted in 2012.

The board commissioned the review to critically examined governance and service delivery in the RDCK. The consultant made numerous recommendations to improve overall effectiveness of the organization. Recommendations included the addition of staff to address growth and demand for services such as parks, bylaw enforcement and planning while at the same time meeting statutory requirements and organizational demands (human resources and finance). Some organizational restructuring has been undertaken to help offset the financial impacts of staffing increases.

“I am proud of my fellow directors and our staff for their hard work and commitment to the budget process and for serving the public with such dedication,” said Kettle. “Thank you to those residents who participated in budget meetings — we greatly value and appreciate your input.”