As of June 30, 2026, the District had spent $274,717 less than planned from the council budget.
That’s the word from a report that came before council at the most recent Policies and Priorities meeting on July 13.
Back in 2024, council asked staff to bring forward quarterly financial reports outlining the council administration budget.
While this hadn’t happened previously, the finance department is working on making this policy a reality.
This is not the whole of the District’s budget, but the parts that council has control over or are directly influenced by.
For instance, council has spent $5,118 on training costs, about 34 percent of the approved budget, including registration to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference.
Travel expenses for council and staff is well under budget, with a total $28,605 against a budget of $75,000. However, notes Director of Finance Justin Wetherill, several major conferences and travel activities occur during the second half of the year, including UBCM and other intergovernmental meetings.
A notable exception to this trend is memberships and dues, where $8,011 of the $10,000 budget has been spent, though this, says Wetherill, is largely due to annual subscription and membership renewals paid early in the year.
In conclusion, says Wetherill, the 2026 Council Administration budget remains in a strong financial position. “With approximately two-thirds of the annual budget remaining, administration expects expenditures to continue in line with approved budget allocations while supporting council priorities for the remainder of the year.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
