Every election candidates ask for the endorsement of Grumpy$ and are declined, but this time we have our very own candidate!

“There’s no law saying I can’t recycle the same platform in all 13 municipalities, the CRD and every other agency that pays, so that’s what I’m going to do,” says Ron Jeremiah Grump.

“If you must waste your vote, waste it on me.”

Grump hopes to capitalize on the widespread disaffection among voters without dependable transportation who are waiting for the regional transportation service to improve gridlock on bike paths.

“We are in a vicious cycle. For those of you that ride your bike twice a day, that’s not recycling. Remember, it gets more expensive to buy a tire pump every year, all because of inflation.”

Grump dresses in red from head-to-toe to draw attention to ballooning municipal budgets.

Besides the made-in-China bike-for-all pledge, Grump promises unlimited mocktails from your tap at every household and the creation of a 22-municipality region called Victoriapolis (one more than the Lower Mainland!). AI would free people from the need to work, and an individual mother figure for everyone would help combat feelings of loneliness.

“Name one other candidate that will give you a set of wheels?” he asks. “Name one other candidate that even offers a clearly articulated vision, management experience and political affiliations?”

As an extra incentive for renters – who tend not to bother voting – Grump will give a discount of 50% for selfies taken with him outside the voting stations.

For those with fur babies, a fire hydrant in front of every home and government contracts to anyone who will play fetch with him.

Finally, instead of endless council meetings by endless municipalities, Grump hopes to streamline governance.

“Instead of 100 local politicians, why not elect 1,000 with each serving a week so everyone gets a try? Local politicians will be elected as volunteers and no longer paid, but swear to help out their community instead of themselves. The only non-taxable benefit would be a rubber boot allowance to make it easier to visit constituents.”

There’s Toronto with 3.3 million or so people governed by 25 councillors and a mayor, then it’s high time Dysfunction-by-the-sea tried something different.

Grump argues he will probably change his platform before and during the campaign, and once elected and removed from office.

So, are you ready for change? Grump says he’s the antidote for those suffering from political depression.

Apparently not if you live in Victoria and face a proposed 7.28 percent hike this year.

Council needs reminding that household, family and individual income are all significantly less in the City of Victoria when compared to 12 other municipalities on the South Island.

The most recent figures put the median after-tax income of households in the City of Victoria at $60,000.

This compares to $105,000 in the Highlands, $82,000 in Langford, $104,000 in North Saanich, $93,000 in Oak Bay, and $83,000 in Saanich. You get the picture.

While all these incomes mentioned above are the most recent from the 2021 Census, this trend has remained consistent over the decades. There’s no reason to think that changed dramatically in the last few years.

There are a disproportionate number of low-income workers, seniors, and renters on fixed income in the City of Victoria who are struggling with affordability. They have far less ability to manage compounding rent, food and fuel costs.

With increased property taxes, business owners will very likely have to pass along an increase in goods and services to charge those with limited income (and everyone else) to remain profitable.

City staff are now saying the anticipated tax hike of 11% in 2027 is now likely to be closer to 14% to make up for the reduced reserve contributions and taxation this year. That said, it’s unknown the full impact the grim 2026 BC budget will have on city finances.

It’s well-known there are significant staff cuts planned in 2026 driven by the federal and provincial government, as well as the private sector.

It’s unfortunate our facile, ideological-bound city council won’t give their heads a shake, tighten their belt and restructure their bloated workforce.

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Why can’t Langford and Sidney councils bother to follow their own best practices on remuneration that were developed by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM)?

The next mayor of Langford will see a pay bump of $30,000 or 24% to $124,656, while each councillor will have their compensation increased by $13,600 or 28% to $47,817 a year.

The UBCM council and board remuneration guide recommends reviews should be done at least a year prior to the next general election, not eight months.

As for transparency and communicating with the public, Langford still doesn’t publicly post pay or benefits from city duties or those as a result of their position.

The next mayor of Sidney will see a pay hike of $13,612 or 28% to $61,872, while each councillor will have their pay boosted by $7,328 or 38% to $26,605.

This salary review also wasn’t done at least a year prior to the next general election. The important remuneration bylaw was then adopted despite the absence of one councillor.

The UBCM also recommends a third-party consultant or community task force to recommend pay levels. When staff recommend pay increases for their bosses, it puts them in a conflict of interest situation.

All the compensation mentioned above are for base salaries only and take effect after the next election. Unfortunately, there was no discussion about additional pay received as a result of their position, any taxpayer-paid extended benefits or the council expense policy.

Neither hefty salary increase was discussed as a way to lower the proposed 15.13% property tax increase in Langford and the 12.4% hike now under consideration in Sidney.

Councils shouldn’t wonder why they struggle with public credibility and why some taxpayers are gnarly.

During the fall municipal election voters may want to ask candidates if they will continue to upgrade their abilities.

It’s a question residents in the Capital Regional District are asking after the current term draws to a close and a new one begins this fall. While most of the 100 local politicians may think they are well-qualified, many voters probably think otherwise.

Since elected in 2022, only two local politicians in all 13 municipalities have availed themselves of leadership and knowledge opportunities offered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). They recognized there’s a need for education and training of elected officials and launched the Local Government Leadership Academy back in 2010.

The three certificate levels for mayors and councillors are built around ‘developing core competencies for effective governance’ and “increased understanding of both the ‘big picture’ and the ‘fine details’ of governance.”

From 2022 to 2025, only Esquimalt Coun. Jacob Helliwell completed Level 1 and 2 certificates requiring a total of 45 hours of coursework and an elected officials seminar. Mayor Maja Tait, who will not be seeking re-election, completed Level 3.

The electorate must look at each candidate’s work/life’s experience to see if they have the skills necessary to run a large corporation such as a municipality. But it raises questions as to why most local elected officials don’t bother seizing the opportunity to further their education.

Do potential candidates and local governments not know about the training opportunities? Should the UBCM be reviewing the curriculum to ensure it meets their needs? Or do councils feel they don’t need to develop their leadership skills and knowledge base?

Come election time, ask your elected official if they possess sufficient knowledge and leadership skills to help enable effective local governance.

-30-

Following council’s hefty pay increase of 28-38% slated for 2027, the coffee shops in Sidney (and elsewhere) will not only be buzzing from the caffeine.

There are several troubling governance aspects and questions about this issue.

Why did it take 14 years for council salaries to be hiked which finally resulted in this outsized increase?

Why did some councillors vote against making the hike more acceptable to taxpayers by phasing in the increase over the next four years?

Why did Couns. Steve Duck, Scott Garnett and Richard Novak object to postponing the vote until to allow missing councillor Chad Rintoul to attend and weigh in? Was his absence justified during this important vote?

Was there a conflict of interest having staff prepare a report bringing council’s compensation (read, their boss) in line with the median salary of eight other like-sized municipalities in the region?

How meaningful are those comparator salaries when it results in endless and significant bumps in pay across the region?

What happens if the mayor in January 2027 refuses a pay hike, do council salaries still automatically jump by 38%? Will a future council nullify the remuneration bylaw?

Given these questions, it’s expected those candidates running for council this fall will stake out a position on this controversial issue.

The optics of approving big pay hikes – while council is supposedly taming a potential 12.4% property tax jump and voters are struggling with the rising cost of living – are unbelievable.

DIG DEEPER

Sidney council and mayor salaries to increase by 28-38% in 2027, Peninsula News Review, Feb. 10, 2026. https://peninsulanewsreview.com/2026/02/12/sidney-council-and-mayor-salaries-to-increase-by-28-38-in-2027/
https://peninsulanewsreview.com/2026/02/12/sidney-council-and-mayor-salaries-to-increase-by-28-38-in-2027/

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While we agree with the premise that the current model of governance is not working, his remedy to start from scratch to reinvent local government is an unrealistic academic exercise.

There are now about 100 local politicians on the South Island and a 24-member CRD board. The CRD itself functions as a coordinating committee and a service delivery agent, rather than a level of local government that’s elected on a regional basis.

There are currently three electoral areas, namely Juan de Fuca, Southern Gulf Islands and Salt Spring Island.

Salt Spring is governed by a hybrid model combining the CRD for local services, along with the Islands Trust and its two trustees for land-use planning.

In 2023, a new Local Community Commission was elected with a CRD director and four commissioners to oversee 14 CRD services for the island.

While not mentioned, the region includes traditional territories of many First Nations where 11 of these hold reserve lands.

Nowadays, the sheer complexity and self-interest inherent with endless jurisdictions makes it extremely unrealistic that a broken governance model will be fixed easily or quickly.

Mr. Hancock’s support of zero-based budgeting – something we’ve been advocating for a decade – has merit and gets our wholehearted support.

Demanding more integrated and shared services regionally is also a promising strategy to add, especially in light of relentless oversized tax increases.

But, until the provincial government addresses the problems with the structure of local government, there’s a more pragmatic tribute to mark any ‘Diamond Jubilee’ festivities on the South Island. 

During the fall referendum in Victoria and Saanich there’s a significant opportunity to vote to consolidate the governance of half the entire population of 460,000.

Last year the Citizens’ Assembly, an impartial advisory body tasked with representing the residents, investigated the costs, benefits and disadvantages of amalgamation.

It concluded a unified city is the best form of government for the two municipalities.

Ask yourself, isn’t approving the referendum a far more compelling and realistic approach to overcome inertia than starting from scratch to try and reinvent local government?

It’s more worthy of consideration and not an academic exercise.

There’s never been greater need for change at municipal governments on the South Island.

The proposed City of Victoria budget at 10.44 % is described by Grumpy Taxpayer$ as ‘unworldly’ when compared to other large BC cities.

In smaller communities, Langford hopes to tame a projected 15.61% tax increase for 2026 over the next several months. Esquimalt council is looking for ways to reduce a proposed 13 per cent property-tax increase to single digits.

There are a number of large civic infrastructure projects planned such as the Crystal Pool in Victoria, the public works yard in Saanich, multiple community buildings in Central Saanich, a Westshore RCMP detachment, and so on. It would be wise for taxpayers to monitor these costly projects.

Water and sewer rates across the region have seen huge hikes to the dismay of homeowners.

You get the picture.

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

We are a non-profit, non partisan, citizen’s group advocating for better governance and better value for our tax dollar. We are ready for change.

Thanks to the support of members, Grumpy Taxpayer$ has established a new social media presence. Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Reddit Site – https://www.reddit.com/user/GrumpyTaxpayers/

Instagram Site – https://www.instagram.com/grumpytaxpayers

Threads Site – https://www.threads.com/@grumpytaxpayers

YouTube Site – https://www.youtube.com/@GrumpyTaxpayersofVictoria

LinkedIn Site – https://www.linkedin.com/company/grumpy-taxpayer/

Twitter Site – https://x.com/grumpytaxpayer1

Thank you for your continued support.

~ John Treleaven, Chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$

Not well at all.

Five cities have already approved their budget for 2026 and include Chilliwack (4.9%), Delta (2.9%), City of Langley (5.82%), Kelowna (4.37%), and Coquitlam (3.37%).

As yet, there’s no budget proposal from Surrey and Abbotsford: Surrey is trying to grapple with their police budget following the provincial decision to move forward with the transition to the Surrey Police Service. Abbotsford has delayed deliberations until February as a result of proposed changes to pipeline property tax assessments.

There are six other cities working on their latest proposed budget increases which include City of North Vancouver (2.9%), Maple Ridge (3.5%), Nanaimo (6.3%), Richmond (3.04%), Kamloops (6.7%), Burnaby (4.8%), and Vancouver (0%).

Neighbouring Saanich initially proposed a hike of 8.74%, but the revised goal is less than 5%.

Then there is Victoria (which seemingly operates in a different galaxy far, far away) asking for a startling 10.44%.

The city staff report in the fall suggested nearly $18.3 million in savings by re-evaluating operational efficiencies over a five-year plan got a muted response from council.

Of the more than 200 services and programs provided by the city, are there some that can be eliminated or privatized? How can a doubling of staff to 34 since 2021 in the department of people and culture be justified?

What are the staff costs to regulate short-term rentals properties as a result of new provincial legislation? Can some budget costs be attributed to lawsuits against the city? How much revenue is foregone because of unpaid parking tickets?

Often the outliers in the province, why-oh-why is the mayor and council asking for a gut-wrenching hike of 10.44%?

Does cutting flower baskets create the illusion of a robust debate on priorities and divert taxpayer eyes from an unaffordable 10.44 per cent property tax hike?

Residents can’t help but agree after reviewing the proposed $468 million consolidated budget for 2026 and the city finances.

If you examine the amount of accumulated surplus the City of Victoria had at the end 2024, taxpayers need to ask if council is distracting them from any possible service integration across the region.

The accumulated surplus stood at slightly over one billion dollars, according to the most recent statement of financial information. Granted almost three-quarters of that amount was equity in capital assets like buildings and land.

But about $300 million consists of 12 cash reserves and investments for everything from a financial stability reserve to another for climate action.

How is it that the council can’t find $130,000, a relative pittance, to pay for an iconic feature of a tourist community dubbed the ‘Garden City’? Why not buy flower baskets on the open market?

It seems most municipalities these days start performative budget discussions with an alarming double-digit budget increase, face the public outrage, and then scale back the outsized hike. Critics charge that the budget is sold as a less-painful hike and a compromise.

So what better way than slashing flower baskets to distract from the real issue of governing within realistic fiscally responsible means. How is it that our neighbour Vancouver is promising taxpayers a zero per cent budget increase in 2026?

Since labour costs in Victoria account for a mind-boggling 54 per cent of the operating budget, council has few options other than rationalizing a rapidly growing staff payroll.

There are now 22 staff in the communications and engagement department – twice as many as in 2021 – ready to record and analyze your views on the proposed budget. Residents have until 11.59 pm on Jan. 23.

Outstandingly sweet Candy Cane Awards 2025 !

Saanich, Colwood and Central Saanich recognized, but Lump of Coal Award for CRD

To recognize extraordinary performance, three municipalities on the South Island are enjoying an outstandingly sweet Candy Cane Award from Grumpy Taxpayer$.

The 12-packs of ‘Jet-puffed candy cane with artificial marshmallow flavour with no nutrient value,’ made in another country by Kraft, were bought on sale a year ago at a considerable discount. As a bonus this year – drum roll, please – there’s also a ‘Lump of Coal’ prize for a particularly awful performance (more about that later) by a local regional government.

Our top prize goes to Saanich council for eventually recognizing many taxpayers are struggling and that some financial moderation was required in the new 93-million operations yard.

“A long-delayed but scaled-back modern operations yard in Saanich is absolutely critical for the region’s largest municipality,” says John Treleaven, chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$.

“It’s clear affordability is a top priority these days for most taxpayers and financial restraint is certainly necessary on very expensive capital projects.”

Council initially proposed a $172-million redevelopment plan that would have included a new operations centre alongside a mixed-use project to be developed in partnership with a private developer, with a large housing component and towers up to 18 stories.

Second place goes to Colwood for introducing a performance management dashboard tool to help better govern a municipality.

“Taxpayers know how challenging it is to manage any municipality, especially one that’s growing quickly such as Colwood. Taxpayers know tax dollars are increasingly precious and limited and so better governance is vital,” says Treleaven.

The real benefit and objective is to drive the achievement of their strategic plan into every manager and indeed every employee’s job description /evaluation, says Treleaven. Local governments face “unique pressures including multi-stakeholders, service delivery complexity and short term political cycles along with the need for long-term planning.”

A performance dashboard, using Power BI, within the City’s operational plan represents a significant advancement in management, providing real-time visibility into organizational performance across multiple dimensions. The City is currently implementing a new budget management tool, and this tool will support future financial and operations updates.

Third place honours goes to Central Saanich for taking an assertive approach in getting the province to finally build a flyover off Highway 17 at Keating Cross.

“To accomplish what Central Saanich has done, it took ambition, courage and dedication to the public good not widely or frequently seen around here,” says Treleaven.

By eliminating the need to turn across busy highway traffic and reducing congestion, the overpass project improves safety dramatically.

Construction began in June 2023, opened to northbound traffic in July 2025 and is now almost complete. The project cost $76.8 million and Central Saanich taxpayers contributed $2.5 million.

The second-ever “ Lump of Coal Award” to the CRD for taking more than a half century before it decided to form a regional transportation service.

“Whether it’s congestion or gridlock, every resident in the region knows the transportation system on the South Island has needed improvements for decades,” says Treleaven.

“Governance failures around transportation policy in general are effectively a stunning indictment of our failed system of local government,” say Treleaven. “That includes the failure of the CRD to lead or ensure the province build a full exchange to facilitate southbound traffic, not just a flyover to Keating Cross in Central Saanich.”

In November 2025, after almost 60 years, the 13 mayors in the region decided to establish a Regional Transportation Service and finally introduced a bylaw to do so.

And by the way, just so you know, there’s a debate about the origin of candy canes.

Wikipedia references 1670 when a German choirmaster gave the kids ‘sugar sticks’ to keep them quiet during worship services. The Sugar Association suggests the first documented use of candy canes in Christmas decor (trees) dates back to 1847.

Available for Media Interviews:

John Treleaven, Chair, Grumpy Taxpayer$

treleavengroup@shaw.ca

250.656.7899, cell 250.588.7899

Stan Bartlett, Director, Grumpy Taxpayer$

grumpytaxpayers@gmail.com

250-477-9907