Sounder News
This past month, the Islands Trust Council approved a budget of $11.2 million for 2025-26.
This represents a 5.8% increase over the previous year’s budget to the existing local trust area tax base. The Trust expects an additional 2.5% increase in tax revenue from new construction and development in local trust areas.
The increase is slightly less than this time last year, when Council approved a 5.9% increase to the taxes from local area trust areas, for a total 2024-25 budget of $10.98 million.
“Sensing the challenging times, staff and the Financial Planning Committee put a great deal of work into reducing the proposed budget.
“The approved budget supports ongoing work directed to the well-being of the Trust Area while minimizing the impact on taxpayers” said Islands Trust Council Chair Laura Patrick.
Gabriola Trustee Tobi Elliott is a Vice-Chair on the Trust Executive Committee.
She said the 2025-26 Islands Trust approved budget went through considerable revisions and reductions over the six month period it takes to prepare, analyze and evaluate priorities.
She said, “there won’t be any project funding to support affordable housing initiatives. However, sponsorship of development application fees, which typically offset costs for housing non-profit agencies applying for rezoning, was maintained, although certainly not at the levels that may be needed in the coming year. Tough decisions were made at Executive Committee to reduce the number of members going to conventions, and some operational spends.”
Elliott explained that spending is not actually the driver in the increase in taxation this year.
According to Elliott, expenses for 2025/26 are anticipated to increase only modestly and almost in line with Consumer Price Index, and these are driven are driven primarily by increased costs for Trust Council and Islands Trust Conservancy.
However, revenue from external sources (fees, grants, investment income) and internal funds (surplus, reserve transfers) have decreased significantly, so to cover the increased spending and non-tax revenue shortfall, additional funds from taxes are needed.
She told the Sounder, “this is a very bare bones budget. We can see from the modest increases over the last 10 years (0% for 3 years, 21/22: 3.26%; 22/23: 2%; 23/24: 2.06%; 24/25: 5.9%) that taxation for Islands Trust services and programs has not even kept pace with the cost of living increases.
“We definitely struggled with this budget, and there was a political decision to maintain four meetings of Trust Council in-person, which I did not vote in favour, but I do admit supports better decision making and cohesion at Trust Council. I am glad that the LTC project budgets were protected in their entirety as this is the work that has the most immediate value for our communities.
“As well, budget for reconciliation-related activities was maintained.”
Gabriola Trustee Susan Yates added her thoughts on the 2025-26 budget as well.
She writes, “I believe the 5.8% increase to the Local Trust Area tax base is reasonable, considering the rising cost of wages, contracts, and overhead expenses. Most importantly, it does not compromise the essential work of the Islands Trust mandate to preserve and protect the natural and cultural environment of the 13 Trust islands in the Salish Sea, whose forests, foreshores, and ecosystems are under constant pressure from human development.
“I am grateful for the time and efforts that the Financial Planning Committee, and Trust Council members made during the March Council discussion. Their commitments ensure that the Budget for 2025/26 will maintain existing land use planning services and support major ongoing projects. Most important to us locally is the Gabriola Island Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw update, which began shortly after Trustee Elliott and I were elected and will likely continue almost to the end of our term, if we count on Ministerial Approval and Final Adoption. It is a really big project and we are continuing to make it better (hopefully not bigger) with good ideas from everyone who participates by filling out surveys, sending in ideas via the website, attending open houses, and volunteering for special topic Focus Groups.
“I was pleased with the tenor of discussion regarding the Budget, at the March Council meeting. Everyone who participated understands how important local projects are to each Local Trust Area. Trustees also spoke passionately about Trust-wide projects and advocacy work with different levels of government and with First Nations across the Trust Area. This is where we support the commonalities but also the differences on our islands, taking into consideration that we all live near or in fragile ecosystems, we all face climate change threats, and we are all ferry-dependent communities.
“I am especially happy that the Islands Trust Conservancy Budget requests were (with some prior honing) supported, so that the work we do can be realized with tangible results like protected area covenants and the stewardship education program, including the webinars many of us enjoy and learn from, on topics like living with fire, native plant stewardship, and freshwater resources.”
Information about the 2025/26 property tax, and, for the first time, the actual dollar increase on an average property value will be shown on land holders’ property tax insert notices.
Residents can see what the Islands Trust increase actually translates to on their total property tax bill.
In 2024, as a result of a 5.9% general tax increase for Islands Trust, the average residential property owner in the Trust Area paid $400 in property tax to Islands Trust.
The approved budget for 2025-26 assumes that Islands Trust will maintain existing land use planning service levels, and support various ongoing major projects and initiatives in the Islands Trust Area.
This includes the ongoing review of the Gabriola Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw.
Other ongoing initatives highlighted in the budget were:
• Denman Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review (housing options focus)
• Gambier Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review and Implementation (heritage preservation/protection, and shoreline and forest ecosystem protection focus)
• Lasqueti Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review
• Mayne Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review (housing options focus)
• North Pender Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review (housing options focus)
• Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review (housing options and equity focus)
• Continued coordination of implementation of the Salt Spring Island Watershed Protection Plan (2022-2032)
• Hornby Island Local Trust Committee relationship building with K’ómoks First Nation
• Islands Trust Policy Statement Review and Amendment (Islands 2050)
• Stewardship education program
• History and heritage conservations grants-in-aid program
• Reconciliation Action Plan update and implementation
• Administrative support to regional coordination groups (e.g. Southern Gulf Islands Forum, Howe Sound Community Forum)
• Species at risk protection program through the Islands Trust Conservancy
• Improvements to bylaw compliance and enforcement services
The 2025-26 budget has a total planned spending of $11.2 million, with $10.2 million directed to operations, $704,000 directed to special projects, and $261,100 directed to capital spending.
There will be a 17.6% ($68,740) increase to the Bowen Island Municipal tax levy, of which 1.2% is expected to come from new construction and development in the Municipality, with the remaining 16.4% representing a true increase to the existing tax base
Further details of the approved 2025-26 budget are available on the Islands Trust website at www.islandstrust.bc.ca
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