District’s 10-year Financial Plan available for public review

Community feedback invited into 2026-2035 District of Squamish Financial Plan

The District of Squamish first ever 10-year Financial Plan has been released online for Council and public review. Proposed service level changes were introduced at the Special Meeting of Council on October 7. Proposed capital plan and special operating projects were introduced online October 10. The draft Plan outlines the District’s operating costs, capital plan, funding sources, tax rate and utility rate impacts (Utilities available online October 17) over a 10-year period while considering the impacts of rising costs, ongoing attention to facility upgrades, and a long-term capital program.

Council and public review of the budget is available now. Council deliberations of the budget have been paused while CUPE 2269 job action continues, given Staff capacity to effectively support Council in the budget deliberations is currently diminished. The Budget Information Night originally scheduled for November 12 will be rescheduled to a later date. Budget information and updates on public input opportunities are available at LetsTalkSquamish.ca/budget-2026.

“This is an important budget year for the District of Squamish with the introduction of a 10-year plan,” says District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford. “Long-term planning will help this Council, and future Councils, balance the challenges and financial pressures that come with a growing community and aging assets, to build better reserves for our infrastructure and facilities. I look forward to engaging with the community and planning the next stage of improvements for our town in this 10-year plan.”

The District of Squamish is among just a few B.C. municipalities to adopt a 10-year Financial Plan to date, using long-term projections of revenues, expenses, reserves balances and debt requirements, to meet short-term needs and addresses long-term financial sustainability.

What to expect in the 10-year Financial Plan 

The plan carefully assesses and balances pressures from current issues such as rapid growth and diversification, a need for tax increases to manage upward cost pressures, inflation and supply chain challenges, new progressive initiative costs, climate adaptation and mitigation costs, RCMP contract increases, and the immediate requirement to update and replace aging facilities and infrastructure.

“The 2026 to 2035 Financial Plan prioritizes fiscal responsibility, stability and long-term sustainability, while meeting the immediate needs of today’s taxpayers,” says General Manager of Financial, Information Technology and Procurement Services Heather Boxrud. “Municipalities across British Columbia are facing substantial financial investment needs to replace aging infrastructure after decades of insufficient investment and insufficient reserve savings and this Plan will continue to invest in proactive management and reserve building efforts of the District's capital program and asset management reserve funding strategy for the future.”

The 10-Year Financial Plan is guided by four main principles: 

These principles have been developed to ensure that taxes do not fluctuate greatly from year to year, revenues are sufficient to support community goals, everyone pays an equitable amount for the services they receive, services are delivered efficiently, and decisions are made to minimize risk and ensure future flexibility.

Ways to get involved

The community is invited to review what is proposed in the budget and provide feedback on whether the District’s financial planning aligns with resident values and priorities.

Council budget workshops will resume once job action has ended. There is no current timeline for this, however the District continues to be hopeful that a Collective Agreement with CUPE 2269 can be reached that provides a fair employment package to employees and thoughtfully allocates taxpayers’ money.

October 14, 2025