2020 Budget


Update: Monday, October 19

Council approved an amendment to the 2020–2024 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw to reallocate existing funds within the 2020 budget and redirect funds to 2020 capital projects.

The funds are available for reallocation because:

  • the budget projections for 2020 have been cautious and conservative in response to the pandemic
  • cost-saving measures put in place by staff have been very successful
  • projected revenues under COVID have been stronger than anticipated
  • some programs restarted earlier than anticipated

Update: Wednesday, August 5

The 2020-2024 Five-Year Financial Plan Budget Book is now available. It reflects adjustments to the budget required to carry out public health directions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Update: Tuesday, April 28

Thank you to everyone that provided comments on the revised budget using the online forum below.

The revised budget (Budget 2) and the 2020 Annual Tax Rates Bylaw were adopted by Council on Monday, April 27.

That previous budget (Budget 1) has now been replaced by a new budget (Budget 2) which is the result of a complete review of the District’s operations, based on the current situation as best understood at this time.

In Budget 1, the proposed tax rate increase was 3.35% for operations, plus an asset levy increase of 0.50% to address deferred maintenance and an additional natural capital/climate response levy of 0.50% to green the budget, for a total of 4.35%.

In the new budget the operational levy is reduced to 2.00%, and the additional increases are eliminated.

The impact of the operating increase to the taxpayer of an average single-family detached home assessed at $2.844 million in West Vancouver is an increase of $96.


Update: Thursday, April 23

The revised budget is an extraordinary budget which has been created to respond to an extraordinary situation, and that it was created using the best information currently available.

A number of enquiries have been received, and we have grouped multiple questions into common themes.

The following responses aim to provide the most comprehensive explanation to explain the process of developing a budget in this unprecedented time.

Questions and Answers - Thursday, April 23 (PDF)


Update: Tuesday, April 21

On Monday, April 20, Council gave first, second and third reading to the revised budget. Council rescheduled the next scheduled meeting in May to Monday, April 27.

The online forum for public feedback will remain open until Monday, April 27.

Staff are developing responses to all questions sent in the online forum and by email. All responses will be posted to this page by Friday, April 24.


Update: Thursday, April 16

Budget documentation has now been posted to the document library to the right.

The first budget which was presented to Council on March 30 proposed a tax rate increase of 3.35% for operations, plus an asset levy increase of 0.50% to address deferred maintenance and an additional natural capital/climate response levy of 0.50% to green the budget, for a total of 4.35%.

In the new budget, the operational levy is reduced to 2.00%, and the additional increases are eliminated. The impact of the operating increase to the taxpayer of an average single-family detached home assessed at $2.844 million in West Vancouver is an increase of $96.00.

Budget 2 represents an extraordinary departure from all previous budgets and creating it involved a complete, line-by-line review of every District expenditure, in all areas in which the District operates and provides services. In some cases, particularly for services such as the Community Centre, Seniors Centre, and Library, District services have had to be severely curtailed due to public health prohibitions on public assembly. In other cases, such as for Police and Fire, District Services require an enhanced response. For the whole organization, other means of working, such as work from home, have had to be quickly and efficiently adopted in order to protect staff and the public. In creating Budget 2, all of these factors had to be incorporated using the best available information.

Priority is given to the following:

  • Essential Services are fully supported
  • Funding for COVID-19 response-related services and social supports is provided
  • Capital construction projects that would be very expensive to stop are continued
  • Revenue-generating activities that are safe to carry on are continued
  • Expenditures that can be postponed are eliminated from the 2020 budget

Update: Saturday, April 11

The District of West Vancouver is re-developing its 2020 budget, and the new proposed budget will be significantly different from the first. A revised budget will support the following priorities:

  1. Essential services are fully supported (police, fire, water, sewer)
  2. Funding for COVID-19 related services and social supports is provided
  3. Capital construction projects that would be very expensive to stop are continued
  4. Revenue-generating activities that are safe to carry on are continued
  5. Expenditures that can be postponed are eliminated from 2020

The revised budget is anticipated to be available for public review and comment on April 15. Council will consider the revised budget on April 20.

We recognize that this a short period of time for public review, and thank the community for understanding as we work to address the challenges presented by the global pandemic.


Update: Tuesday, March 31

At its March 30 meeting, West Vancouver Council deferred adoption of the 2020 budget until April 20. The original budget was prepared to support Council’s Strategic Goals and Objectives. That work plan has been suspended temporarily in the face of the District’s COVID-19 response.

Staff have been reviewing expenditures and obligations, together with falling revenues, to bring forward a budget that will continue to support and provide the essential services that the community expects.

“This is a $400 million budget of operating, capital and various funds.” said Mayor Mary-Ann Booth, “ So far, over 450 employees have been laid off. Programs have been cancelled and facilities have been closed. There are likely more layoffs coming, so it is a moving target each day and sometimes each hour, especially with the provincial and federal announcements around funding relief and activity restrictions,” she said. “So we'll be looking for every available cost-cutting measure we can find, moving to only essential services for the next three to six months, and really sticking to the bare necessities”.

Public input on the revised budget will be available online, but only for a short period of time. To be notified when the revised budget is available for review and comment, please subscribe to project updates on the sidebar of this page (under Stay Informed).


Update: Monday, October 19

Council approved an amendment to the 2020–2024 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw to reallocate existing funds within the 2020 budget and redirect funds to 2020 capital projects.

The funds are available for reallocation because:

  • the budget projections for 2020 have been cautious and conservative in response to the pandemic
  • cost-saving measures put in place by staff have been very successful
  • projected revenues under COVID have been stronger than anticipated
  • some programs restarted earlier than anticipated

Update: Wednesday, August 5

The 2020-2024 Five-Year Financial Plan Budget Book is now available. It reflects adjustments to the budget required to carry out public health directions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Update: Tuesday, April 28

Thank you to everyone that provided comments on the revised budget using the online forum below.

The revised budget (Budget 2) and the 2020 Annual Tax Rates Bylaw were adopted by Council on Monday, April 27.

That previous budget (Budget 1) has now been replaced by a new budget (Budget 2) which is the result of a complete review of the District’s operations, based on the current situation as best understood at this time.

In Budget 1, the proposed tax rate increase was 3.35% for operations, plus an asset levy increase of 0.50% to address deferred maintenance and an additional natural capital/climate response levy of 0.50% to green the budget, for a total of 4.35%.

In the new budget the operational levy is reduced to 2.00%, and the additional increases are eliminated.

The impact of the operating increase to the taxpayer of an average single-family detached home assessed at $2.844 million in West Vancouver is an increase of $96.


Update: Thursday, April 23

The revised budget is an extraordinary budget which has been created to respond to an extraordinary situation, and that it was created using the best information currently available.

A number of enquiries have been received, and we have grouped multiple questions into common themes.

The following responses aim to provide the most comprehensive explanation to explain the process of developing a budget in this unprecedented time.

Questions and Answers - Thursday, April 23 (PDF)


Update: Tuesday, April 21

On Monday, April 20, Council gave first, second and third reading to the revised budget. Council rescheduled the next scheduled meeting in May to Monday, April 27.

The online forum for public feedback will remain open until Monday, April 27.

Staff are developing responses to all questions sent in the online forum and by email. All responses will be posted to this page by Friday, April 24.


Update: Thursday, April 16

Budget documentation has now been posted to the document library to the right.

The first budget which was presented to Council on March 30 proposed a tax rate increase of 3.35% for operations, plus an asset levy increase of 0.50% to address deferred maintenance and an additional natural capital/climate response levy of 0.50% to green the budget, for a total of 4.35%.

In the new budget, the operational levy is reduced to 2.00%, and the additional increases are eliminated. The impact of the operating increase to the taxpayer of an average single-family detached home assessed at $2.844 million in West Vancouver is an increase of $96.00.

Budget 2 represents an extraordinary departure from all previous budgets and creating it involved a complete, line-by-line review of every District expenditure, in all areas in which the District operates and provides services. In some cases, particularly for services such as the Community Centre, Seniors Centre, and Library, District services have had to be severely curtailed due to public health prohibitions on public assembly. In other cases, such as for Police and Fire, District Services require an enhanced response. For the whole organization, other means of working, such as work from home, have had to be quickly and efficiently adopted in order to protect staff and the public. In creating Budget 2, all of these factors had to be incorporated using the best available information.

Priority is given to the following:

  • Essential Services are fully supported
  • Funding for COVID-19 response-related services and social supports is provided
  • Capital construction projects that would be very expensive to stop are continued
  • Revenue-generating activities that are safe to carry on are continued
  • Expenditures that can be postponed are eliminated from the 2020 budget

Update: Saturday, April 11

The District of West Vancouver is re-developing its 2020 budget, and the new proposed budget will be significantly different from the first. A revised budget will support the following priorities:

  1. Essential services are fully supported (police, fire, water, sewer)
  2. Funding for COVID-19 related services and social supports is provided
  3. Capital construction projects that would be very expensive to stop are continued
  4. Revenue-generating activities that are safe to carry on are continued
  5. Expenditures that can be postponed are eliminated from 2020

The revised budget is anticipated to be available for public review and comment on April 15. Council will consider the revised budget on April 20.

We recognize that this a short period of time for public review, and thank the community for understanding as we work to address the challenges presented by the global pandemic.


Update: Tuesday, March 31

At its March 30 meeting, West Vancouver Council deferred adoption of the 2020 budget until April 20. The original budget was prepared to support Council’s Strategic Goals and Objectives. That work plan has been suspended temporarily in the face of the District’s COVID-19 response.

Staff have been reviewing expenditures and obligations, together with falling revenues, to bring forward a budget that will continue to support and provide the essential services that the community expects.

“This is a $400 million budget of operating, capital and various funds.” said Mayor Mary-Ann Booth, “ So far, over 450 employees have been laid off. Programs have been cancelled and facilities have been closed. There are likely more layoffs coming, so it is a moving target each day and sometimes each hour, especially with the provincial and federal announcements around funding relief and activity restrictions,” she said. “So we'll be looking for every available cost-cutting measure we can find, moving to only essential services for the next three to six months, and really sticking to the bare necessities”.

Public input on the revised budget will be available online, but only for a short period of time. To be notified when the revised budget is available for review and comment, please subscribe to project updates on the sidebar of this page (under Stay Informed).

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Page last updated: 15 Oct 2021, 10:49 AM