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CRD asks for help funding new climate-related programs

Greater Victoria municipalities have until Dec. 17 to choose whether to support tax hike
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The Capital Regional District looks to expand availbility of electric vehicle charging stations. (Photo courtesy of the City of Victoria/ Twitter)

The Capital Regional District is seeking more municipal funding for new initiatives in its climate strategy and is asking area municipalities to approve the increase.

The Climate Action Program is part of the CRD’s revamped climate change strategy, which they updated after the organization declared a climate emergency in 2019.

“This additional funding is required to execute new regional programming related to building energy retrofits and electrical vehicle adoption, and to improve energy management in the facilities and infrastructure that provide CRD programs and services,” said Glenn Harris, CRD’s senior manager of environmental protection, in an email.

But the regional district is also looking for more money to fund two new programs: one to help homeowners get rebates for doing energy efficiency retrofits on their home, the other an expansion of the public electric vehicle charging grid and a grant program for people looking to install private charging stations.

The proposed increase would raise roughly $1.74 million for the two programs and equate to an annual property tax hike of around $7.61 for the average household assessed at $809,721 in 2021 rates.

Municipalities have until Dec. 17 to decide whether to support the increase or not. The bylaw amendment needs a two-thirds majority vote to pass.

ALSO READ: CRD endorses Climate Emergency Declaration


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bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com

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