Creating resilient assets for today - and the future
The District of Central Saanich is committed to good governance and financial management of our infrastructure, such as our sewers, roads and municipal-owned buildings. Infrastructure is critical to the quality of life for residents that live, work and play in Central Saanich.
A challenge facing our community is much of our existing infrastructure was constructed in the 1970s with significant funding support from senior levels of government. These assets are coming due for replacement, and annual work is required to maintain service levels.
Understanding our 'Asset Management Plan'
In 2017 the District implemented an Asset Management Plan and financial approach to escalate annual funding for asset replacement to higher, sustainable levels. The goal of that plan was to eventually fund $6.2 million a year from taxes and utility fees. A separate "Infrastructure and Debt Levy" has been on property taxes since 2017 to clearly identify general infrastructure funding to our taxpayers.
Our assets include, but are not limited to:
- More than 46 municipal buildings
- 140km of roads
- 40+ parks
- 125 km of water mains
- 89 kilometres of gravity sewers
- lift stations
- pump and pressure stations
- and sewer connections for homes and businesses
2021 Asset Management Plan update
Based on inflation and construction cost escalation, there is a need for the District to increase the amount of asset replacement funding raised and set aside each year. Maintenance costs are also increasing substantially and we we are adding new infrastructure, such as Active transportation.
Central Saanich is not in a unique position –all local governments are faced with significantly increasing infrastructure costs and limited revenue sources.
Staff and consultants have begun the 2021 Asset Management Plan update and a series of presentations to Council. As dates are set and the draft plan is released, this page will be updated.
Presentations
- First presentation, Dec 13, 2021: Overview of findings
- Second presentation, Jan 17, 2022: Financial strategies
While all communities are facing the reality of increasing asset replacement costs, not all municipalities have a plan. Addressing this issue now is critical to ensuring we have resilient financial governance for the community today and for future generations. If we do not, in future years, residents and businesses would be burdened with replacement costs of aged infrastructure; and our debt levels may not allow us to address all the needed work we will have accumulated.
There are three primary sources for financing asset management:
- taxes and utility rates
- debt
- grants
There are three approaches of tax and utility-rate funding currently contributing to the plan
- The "Infrastructure and Debt Levy" levy is currently equal to a 1.25% property tax increase to the average homeowner each year ($25 dollars per year to the average home)
- In addition, there is a ten-year plan to increase infrastructure funding for the water system equal to 1.50% water utility rate increase to the average homeowner each year ($8 dollars per year)
- We have a fifteen-year plan to increase sewer infrastructure funding equal to 5% sewer utility rate increase to the average homeowner each year ($13 dollars per year)
The District has an inventory of all our physical assets. Examples include:
- 46 municipal buildings
- 140km of roads
- 40+ parks
- 125 km of water mains
- 4,200 water meter services and 480 hydrants
- 89 kilometres of gravity sewers, 5 kilometers of force mains, 3.9 kilometres of siphons, 15 lift stations, pump and pressure stations
- Sewer connections for 3,800 households and businesses, and 2,800 manholes