Courtenay, BC - The Comox-Strathcona Regional Hospital District (CSRHD) has adopted a 2016 budget of $81.5 million.
The budget will see an estimated tax rate of $81 per $100,000 of assessed property value. This rate reflects the CSRHD board's strategy of having a sustainable tax rate over the past six years, which resulted in less money being borrowed and shorter term financing for the North Island Hospitals Project (NIHP).
"Taxpayers this year will see little or no change to their rates demonstrating the success of this gradual tax increase," said CSRHD board chair, Charlie Cornfield. “These new state-of-the-art hospitals, to be completed fall 2017, will be providing top-notch service to residents of our region for many years to come.”
At the beginning of 2016, the reserve balance was fully expended for the NIHP. The 2016 expenses for this project will be $61.9 million paid in quarterly installments through the future expenditure reserve fund and the Municipal Finance Authority.
In addition to providing 40 per cent of capital funding for the new hospitals, the CSRHD has also allocated $1.85 million for new capital projects and equipment in the existing hospitals in the Comox Valley and Campbell River, and in other facilities supported by the regional hospital district.
The CSRHD provides capital funding, cost shared with the provincial government on a 60/40 basis, with the hospital district portion being 40 percent. The facilities that the CSRHD funds are: Campbell River & District General Hospital, St. Joseph’s General Hospital, Cumberland Regional Hospital Laundry Society, Gold River Health Clinic, Sayward Primary Health Centre and the health centres on Cortes, and in Kyuquot, Tahsis and Zeballos.