2022 Budget

July 2022 update

The 2022-2026 Five-Year Financial Plan Budget Book is now available.

March 2022 update

On February 14, Council approved Operating and Capital Budgets for 2022, including a property tax increase of 1.79%, an asset levy increase of 1%, and a new environmental levy of 1.5%.

At this meeting, staff asked Council to approve the bylaws necessary to enact the budget:

  • Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw includes the approved 2022 budget and projections for the next four years. The five-year plan is a statutory requirement.
  • Allocation of funds to support the Capital Budget: Council approval is required to release money from reserve funds to support the 2022 capital program.

Council approved the Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and the funding for capital projects at the March 28, 2022 Council meeting.

2022-2026 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and 2022 Phase 1 Capital Funding Report

Proposed 2022 tax increase

Each year the municipality must create a budget that pays for the services provided by the District of West Vancouver, including police, fire & rescue, bylaw enforcement, parks, community centres, the library, festivals and cultural programs, and much more. The budget must also fund the capital expenses, including, for example, public facilities and roadwork. Only the services most needed by our residents are maintained and improved where necessary.

Like any household or business, the municipality is challenged with increased costs when developing the annual budget. Unlike households or businesses, local governments must balance the budget and are not permitted to run a deficit.

Also, each year, all non-taxation sources of funding are reviewed for further opportunities before resorting to taxation. In 2021, a complete budget review was undertaken to ensure that all revenue and expenditure items were realistic and required.

The General Fund budget, also known as the operating budget, is where the property tax level is determined. An Asset Levy and an Environmental Levy were also proposed, for a total proposed tax rate increase of 3.79%.


General Fund Budget

The 2022 year will continue to be difficult for the District of West Vancouver financially, because of ongoing challenges as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, deal with the impacts of climate change, face rising costs for services and materials, and address asset maintenance that has been deferred because of lack of resources or put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed 2022 general fund budget of $124 million includes an additional $1.4 million to maintain existing services. This is the minimum amount required to respond to rising costs, recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and deliver Council’s 2021–2022 Strategic Plan.

The operational budget portion of the property tax increase is 1.79%, which is well below the rate of inflation.


2022 budget background

In 2021, the operating budget was conservative as a result of uncertainty around the impact of the ongoing pandemic, so it was assumed that operations would be similar to 2020. However, for 2022, the District is expecting to resume most services and programs and the budget has been built to reflect this.

Efficiencies that have been implemented during the past two years for finding new ways of delivering service during the pandemic will continue.

Please note that the 2022 preliminary budget was revised from December 2021 to January 2022 to account for operational adjustments in accordance with provincial public health orders. There was no change to the proposed operating tax levy increase. As these revisions were made after publication of the 2022 Preliminary Financial Plan, they are not reflected in the publication.



What's included in the 2022 budget

The pie chart below illustrates how the 2022 budget will be allocated. Some of these service areas also collect fees and charges that would offset their costs.


The District budget also supports Council’s Strategic Goals. These goals are:

  • Significantly expand the diversity and supply of housing, including housing that is more affordable.
  • Create vital and vibrant communities.
  • Protect our natural environment, reduce our impact on it, and adapt to climate change.
  • Improve mobility and reduce congestion for people and goods.
  • Deliver municipal services efficiently.
  • Enhance the social well-being of our community.

Learn more about Council’s strategic goals and objectives at westvancouver.ca/council-priorities.


Environmental Levy

A new Environmental Levy of 1.00% ($800,000) is proposed to fund programs that support the protection of our natural environment and reduce our impact on it.

Examples of programs that this levy will fund include, in no particular order, rebate incentives for clean energy use, educational programs to reduce waste, improved recycling programs for public facilities and parks, and projects to maintain our natural capital assets.


Asset Levy

The Asset Levy is in addition to the operating budget. The levy was introduced in 2016 and has been increased by Council each year since then as part of a strategy to prevent West Vancouver’s assets from failing, by investing in maintenance at the optimum time.

Over the next 20 years, the municipality will require ongoing investment of $16.4 million per year to accomplish this.

For 2022, the Asset Levy is proposed to increase by 1%, which equals approximately $800,000. This would bring the total Asset Levy amount available for capital investment to $10.3 million.


What's included in the 2022 Capital Budget

The preliminary 2022 capital budget indicates a need for $17.8 million for asset management plans.

The majority of this amount is for maintaining and replacing existing municipal assets. A smaller portion is for investments in new assets.


What does this mean to you?

To accomplish the service delivery, maintenance of public assets and environmental programs noted above, staff recommend an Operating Levy increase of 1.79%, an Asset Levy increase of 1.00%, and an Environmental Levy of 1.00%. The proposed total tax levy increase of 3.79% is slightly below the rate of inflation, as measured by percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for British Columbia of 3.8%¹.

Together, the increases amount to an extra $247 for the average single-family detached home (SFD) assessed at $3.7 million, or an extra $109 for the average strata property assessed at $1.6 million.

It’s important to note that average assessed values are based on preliminary information from BC Assessment, and that individual increases are directly influenced by average property assessments across the community as a whole.

Staff have prepared two other options for consideration. While these options would reduce the financial impact on property owners, they would also reduce the municipality’s ability to maintain capital infrastructure and respond to climate change.

¹ CPI for British Columbia, % change from October 2020


Public feedback

All public input, including public correspondence, comments at information meetings, and feedback received online, will be considered by Council as part of the 2022 Budget review process.

Virtual information meetings

Thank you to everyone who attended a virtual information meeting on January 25 and January 26. Questions and answers will be posted here.

2022 Budget presentation (YouTube video)

2022 Budget PowerPoint presentation (PDF)

Q & A - January 25 virtual information meeting

Q & A - January 26 virtual information meeting


Thank you for sharing your comments or questions online

In addition to the information meetings, comments or questions were open from Monday, December 13 to Friday, January 28 at 4 p.m.

July 2022 update

The 2022-2026 Five-Year Financial Plan Budget Book is now available.

March 2022 update

On February 14, Council approved Operating and Capital Budgets for 2022, including a property tax increase of 1.79%, an asset levy increase of 1%, and a new environmental levy of 1.5%.

At this meeting, staff asked Council to approve the bylaws necessary to enact the budget:

  • Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw includes the approved 2022 budget and projections for the next four years. The five-year plan is a statutory requirement.
  • Allocation of funds to support the Capital Budget: Council approval is required to release money from reserve funds to support the 2022 capital program.

Council approved the Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and the funding for capital projects at the March 28, 2022 Council meeting.

2022-2026 Five-Year Financial Plan Bylaw and 2022 Phase 1 Capital Funding Report

Proposed 2022 tax increase

Each year the municipality must create a budget that pays for the services provided by the District of West Vancouver, including police, fire & rescue, bylaw enforcement, parks, community centres, the library, festivals and cultural programs, and much more. The budget must also fund the capital expenses, including, for example, public facilities and roadwork. Only the services most needed by our residents are maintained and improved where necessary.

Like any household or business, the municipality is challenged with increased costs when developing the annual budget. Unlike households or businesses, local governments must balance the budget and are not permitted to run a deficit.

Also, each year, all non-taxation sources of funding are reviewed for further opportunities before resorting to taxation. In 2021, a complete budget review was undertaken to ensure that all revenue and expenditure items were realistic and required.

The General Fund budget, also known as the operating budget, is where the property tax level is determined. An Asset Levy and an Environmental Levy were also proposed, for a total proposed tax rate increase of 3.79%.


General Fund Budget

The 2022 year will continue to be difficult for the District of West Vancouver financially, because of ongoing challenges as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, deal with the impacts of climate change, face rising costs for services and materials, and address asset maintenance that has been deferred because of lack of resources or put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed 2022 general fund budget of $124 million includes an additional $1.4 million to maintain existing services. This is the minimum amount required to respond to rising costs, recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and deliver Council’s 2021–2022 Strategic Plan.

The operational budget portion of the property tax increase is 1.79%, which is well below the rate of inflation.


2022 budget background

In 2021, the operating budget was conservative as a result of uncertainty around the impact of the ongoing pandemic, so it was assumed that operations would be similar to 2020. However, for 2022, the District is expecting to resume most services and programs and the budget has been built to reflect this.

Efficiencies that have been implemented during the past two years for finding new ways of delivering service during the pandemic will continue.

Please note that the 2022 preliminary budget was revised from December 2021 to January 2022 to account for operational adjustments in accordance with provincial public health orders. There was no change to the proposed operating tax levy increase. As these revisions were made after publication of the 2022 Preliminary Financial Plan, they are not reflected in the publication.



What's included in the 2022 budget

The pie chart below illustrates how the 2022 budget will be allocated. Some of these service areas also collect fees and charges that would offset their costs.


The District budget also supports Council’s Strategic Goals. These goals are:

  • Significantly expand the diversity and supply of housing, including housing that is more affordable.
  • Create vital and vibrant communities.
  • Protect our natural environment, reduce our impact on it, and adapt to climate change.
  • Improve mobility and reduce congestion for people and goods.
  • Deliver municipal services efficiently.
  • Enhance the social well-being of our community.

Learn more about Council’s strategic goals and objectives at westvancouver.ca/council-priorities.


Environmental Levy

A new Environmental Levy of 1.00% ($800,000) is proposed to fund programs that support the protection of our natural environment and reduce our impact on it.

Examples of programs that this levy will fund include, in no particular order, rebate incentives for clean energy use, educational programs to reduce waste, improved recycling programs for public facilities and parks, and projects to maintain our natural capital assets.


Asset Levy

The Asset Levy is in addition to the operating budget. The levy was introduced in 2016 and has been increased by Council each year since then as part of a strategy to prevent West Vancouver’s assets from failing, by investing in maintenance at the optimum time.

Over the next 20 years, the municipality will require ongoing investment of $16.4 million per year to accomplish this.

For 2022, the Asset Levy is proposed to increase by 1%, which equals approximately $800,000. This would bring the total Asset Levy amount available for capital investment to $10.3 million.


What's included in the 2022 Capital Budget

The preliminary 2022 capital budget indicates a need for $17.8 million for asset management plans.

The majority of this amount is for maintaining and replacing existing municipal assets. A smaller portion is for investments in new assets.


What does this mean to you?

To accomplish the service delivery, maintenance of public assets and environmental programs noted above, staff recommend an Operating Levy increase of 1.79%, an Asset Levy increase of 1.00%, and an Environmental Levy of 1.00%. The proposed total tax levy increase of 3.79% is slightly below the rate of inflation, as measured by percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for British Columbia of 3.8%¹.

Together, the increases amount to an extra $247 for the average single-family detached home (SFD) assessed at $3.7 million, or an extra $109 for the average strata property assessed at $1.6 million.

It’s important to note that average assessed values are based on preliminary information from BC Assessment, and that individual increases are directly influenced by average property assessments across the community as a whole.

Staff have prepared two other options for consideration. While these options would reduce the financial impact on property owners, they would also reduce the municipality’s ability to maintain capital infrastructure and respond to climate change.

¹ CPI for British Columbia, % change from October 2020


Public feedback

All public input, including public correspondence, comments at information meetings, and feedback received online, will be considered by Council as part of the 2022 Budget review process.

Virtual information meetings

Thank you to everyone who attended a virtual information meeting on January 25 and January 26. Questions and answers will be posted here.

2022 Budget presentation (YouTube video)

2022 Budget PowerPoint presentation (PDF)

Q & A - January 25 virtual information meeting

Q & A - January 26 virtual information meeting


Thank you for sharing your comments or questions online

In addition to the information meetings, comments or questions were open from Monday, December 13 to Friday, January 28 at 4 p.m.

  • Budget explained

    Like any business or household, each year the municipality is challenged with increased costs. The money that comes into the District of West Vancouver is budgeted in a fiscally responsible manner and spent on services and capital expenses, including police, fire and rescue, bylaw enforcement, parks, community centres, the library, festivals and cultural programs, roadwork, and much more.

    Money coming in must equal money going out. Municipalities are required to balance their budget.

    The cost of providing services must be balanced with a tax increase that the community can afford at any one time.

    For the 2022 budget, the first priority is to continue delivering and improving core services to residents and businesses. A fiscally responsible budget that supports recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and initiatives to deliver Council’s Strategic Plan are also priorities.

    There are two key expenditures in the District's budget:

    Operating budget

    The operating budget pays for staff wages to provide day-to-day operations such as park and trail maintenance, running cultural and recreational programs, and operating District facilities.

    West Vancouver’s challenging geography impacts the cost of essential services compared to other municipalities.

    After accounting for all other revenues, the cost of these services is funded through property taxes.

    Capital budget

    West Vancouver, like almost every municipality in Canada, has ageing infrastructure that requires a long-term plan and financial resources to repair, maintain, and replace assets. This includes everything from community centres and the Seawalk to park benches, streets, and sidewalks.

    The capital budget provides funds for maintenance and replacement of infrastructure, such as roads, District facilities, and parks and trails.

    Capital projects are prioritized by Council and outlined in their Strategic Plan. The majority of capital projects are funded by the Asset Levy.

    Let's take a closer look: What makes up the District's budget?

    The District’s consolidated budget is made up of the individual budget of various funds. Each fund is a stand-alone business entity that engages in specific services and has its own revenues, expenditures, reserves, and capital program. Each fund also has its own particular approach to budgeting and rate setting.

    Let’s focus on the General Fund— the primary operating fund of the District. It is within this fund that property tax rates are determined. The services being paid for through the General Fund constitute the core operational responsibilities of the District.

    Most budget revenue comes from property taxes—last year 74% of the budget was funded this way. Other sources include fees for services, programs, licences, development permits, and parking and bylaw fines.

    View an outline of the General Fund, Utility Funds, and other stand-alone funds

Page last updated: 13 Dec 2022, 04:53 PM