Islands Trust budget public review process

The public review process for the Islands Trust’s 2018-19 annual budget is underway. Information is at 

http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/trust-council/budget/

There are several ways you can give your opinions and suggestions:

• Complete the anonymous online budget survey (takes about 20 minutes)
• Send an email to  budget [at] islandstrust [dot] bc [dot] ca
• Mail a letter to  1627 Fort Street, Victoria, BC  V8R 1H8
• Make a presentation to Trust Council in person (by appointment) at their March 14-16 meeting on Gabriola Islands Trust

(to make an appointment, go to this web page:   http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/trust-council/council-meetings/talk-to-council/

Deadline for input is Monday, February 11.

(Please note: All feedback will be included in public documents (subject to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation) and posted to the Islands Trust website.)

Some highlights, from the budget web page, and included in the survey:

• Total proposed budget of  $7.89 million
• 2% projected tax increase overall from the Islands Trust Area (not including Bowen Island Municipality, who will have a projected increase of 13%

Tax revenues will be spent in three broad areas:

• Local Planning Services/Local Trust Committees (71%  $5.63 million) Ongoing maintenance of official community plans (20 in place), processing of applications such as rezoning and development permits, community information meetings about land use planning, public hearings on proposed bylaws, and enforcement of bylaws
• Trust Council/Regional (18% $1,381,000) Trust Area-wide policy, Trust Council and council committee meetings, finance, information services, communications, advocacy, strategic planning, and intergovernmental relations
• Islands Trust Conservancy/Conservation (11% $871,000) Protecting land through conservation covenants and nature reserves. 

For more information about the Islands Trust and the Islands Trust Conservancy, consider reading the 2017-18 Annual Report (131p)

http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/media/346391/islandstrust-ar-2018-web.pdf