BREAKING NEWS: SOOKE, BC PROPERTY TAX UPDATE — NEW INFORMATION SURFACING    

We received the following press release on April 2, 2026.

BREAKING NEWS: SOOKE, BC PROPERTY TAX UPDATE — NEW INFORMATION SURFACING  
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Thursday April 2, 2026)
Sooke Tax Rate Still Too High for Residents

Sooke, BC – Sooke Council voted last night to reduce the proposed 2026 property tax increase from 12% to 10.5%. Councillors Kevin Pearson, Herb Haldane, and Megan McMath voted against the final number, saying it still puts too much pressure on residents.

“Dropping it down from 12% matters, but a 10.5% tax increase is still too big a hit,” said Kevin Pearson. “The feedback from residents has been clear. After last year’s 15.29% increase, people are already paying hundreds more each year and feeling it in their day-to-day budgets. And it’s not just one year. When you look at the increases from 2021 to 2025, along with what’s being projected from 2026 to 2030, it adds up to roughly a 150% increase over 10 years. That kind of compounding, year after year, is what’s becoming unsustainable for people.”

Residents will have a final opportunity to have their say at the open house at the municipal hall on April 8 from 2:30 to 7:30 pm, ahead of Council’s decision on April 13.
Pearson, Haldane, and McMath had pushed to bring the increase closer to 8%, saying that would be more in line with what residents can reasonably handle while still keeping municipal services in place.

Pearson said the work now is to go back through the budget and find additional savings before asking residents to pay more.
“That means protecting core services like policing and fire but taking a harder look at everything else – office furniture, travel, conferences, and other discretionary spending – and finding efficiencies across the board,” he said. “We’ve done that line by line work in the past. It hasn’t happened this year, and it needs to.”

Haldane also raised concerns about the District’s financial position heading into the year.
“Revenues are already tracking well below last year, and that makes it even more important that we get spending under control now,” he said. “Council needs to take a harder look at how we’re managing things. Families are tightening their belts, and the District should be doing the same.”

The vote highlights a clear divide at the Council table. While some councillors pushed to bring costs down, others supported a higher increase, despite ongoing concerns about affordability. With projections pointing to significant tax increases in the years ahead, the real issue is the compounded impact year after year on residents who are already struggling.

“This is about leadership,” Pearson said. “People are already struggling to afford what they’re paying today, and they expect Council to recognize that. Right now, we’re not seeing that from half of Council. We can’t keep taking the easy route while costs keep going up. We need to make tough decisions now because continuing down this path isn’t sustainable.”

Haldane added that the approach being taken by Pearson stands out.
“It’s refreshing to see that kind of leadership,” he said. “Kevin is focused on doing the work and keeping residents front and centre in these decisions. That’s what people are looking for right now.”

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Media Contact:
Kevin Pearson