The Regional District of Nanaimo wants to be more prepared with their 2025 budget planning process.
Learning from the last financial plan process, the RDN plans to make the process more efficient and less complicated.
A recommended 2025-2029 financial planning schedule was presented to the RDN board at its regular meeting on April 9. It includes a review of the board’s strategic plan in May, adopting a policy to guide how surplus will be allocated going forward, and additional department presentations focused on service levels, including how they affect taxation. These sessions will inform the development of the 2025 to 2029 financial plan.
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RDN CAO Douglas Holmes cited one area he felt they didn’t do well was the departmental summaries that encompass part of the financial planning process throughout the year.
“We’ve heard the board clearly that they’re concerned about costs and the establishment of a balance between services and costs are very much top of mind,” said Holmes. “So in the reviews of the various departments, that would be July, September, October, the intention would very much be to provide an analysis of what a reduction or slowing down of service delivery could or might look like in each area.”
The goal, Holmes said, is to provide board an opportunity to review the issues and learn about them throughout the year before the financial plan is dealt with in the fall.
“The board would be able to ask for more information or further analysis on what that reduction scenario might look like,” said Holmes. “But in any event, by the end of the year, when the financial plan has aggregated, the board would have in its possession a full analysis of what reduction services around all departments could or might look like.”
Holmes said when the board directs them to find ways to cut items in the budget, it puts staff in a difficult position.
“One is it puts us in a position of balancing one service versus the other and I don’t think that’s a place where staff belongs,” Holmes explained. “I think that is the board’s decision to decide what service levels should be reduced versus. what should stay the same. Although I think it is a fair ask to have some data to understand what that could or might look like,”
Holmes said it would ideal for the board to start discussion in the summer about service reductions and other issues pertaining to the budget.
Electoral Area G (French Creek, San Pareil, Little Qualicum, Englishman River) director Lehann Wallace agreed that having an analysis and information sooner would be valuable to the board.
The board approved the 2025-2029 financial plan, with Area E (Nanoose Bay) alternate director Joe Ringwald opposed.