qathet Regional District (qRD) directors have reviewed the interim financial statements to July 31 and posed some questions about regional district funding.
At the September 4 finance committee meeting, City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said in the statements, there was a $35,000 surplus from prior year operating funds in the waste management service. She asked whether that money had been earmarked, or whether there would be funds that also could be accessed for the resource-recovery centre’s additional capital funds that were being requested.
qRD manager of financial services Linda Greenan said the $35,000 surplus has been budgeted and that forms part of the revenue that is being used for the 2024 operating budget.
“It is planned for use in 2024,” said Greenan.
Elliott asked if the resource-recovery centre was opening later than expected, is the operations budget expected to be different?
Manager of environmental services Jason Kouwenhoven said the resource-recovery centre operating budget was anticipated to start around mid-2024 and the operations began on that timeline, so no changes are anticipated to the operating expenses.
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick had a question about Shelter Point Regional Park on Texada Island and asked about firewood and shower revenue, year-to-date, amounting to more than $11,000. McCormick said there had been a campfire ban this summer.
Greenan said it was more than expected. There was $4,500 in the budget.
McCormick then noted the concession revenue at $1,550 and asked if that was what the regional district had taken in for the lease.
Greenan said the regional district did not know what was happening with the concession so nothing was budgeted. She said the $1,550 was what the contract amounted to for concession use.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne had questions about Haywire Bay Regional Park, noting shower and firewood revenue had been budgeted at $2,500, and revenue, year-to-date, was nearly $14,000. He said he wondered about the camping fees, which were budgeted at $127,500, but the actual figure was close to $64,000.
“That’s half of what we expected,” said Gisborne. “If we saw a whole bunch of shower and firewood revenue, I would expect to see a whole bunch of folks being at the campsite, so I’m confused why the camping fees are half of what we expected.”
Greenan said there was an error in the shower and firewood revenue, and some of that revenue should be allocated to camping fees.
Gisborne then asked about tipping fees for solid waste. He said that $1.7 million was expected in the budget , but the year-to-date actual amounted to $801,000, which is “quite a bit less.”
“Does that mean we are going to have to potentially have another tax increase to make up the difference?”
Electoral Area E director and committee chair Andrew Fall said the year hasn’t finished yet so those tipping fees will go up.
“We should be on track,” added Fall.
Greenan said the amount shown was that collected until June, so it would be expected that it would be 50 per cent of the budget.
“We expect we will be close to budget by the end of the year,” said Greenan.
The committee unanimously recommended that the board accept for information the interim financial statements to July 31.
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
