In This Week’s Editor’s Note:
- Courtenay: City adopts 2026-2030 Financial Plan with 7% tax increase.
- Comox: Council adopts updated OCP and Zoning Bylaws.
- CVRD: Regional District takes phase approach to implementing Zero Carbon Step Code
Courtenay: City adopts 2026-2030 Financial Plan with 7% tax increase.
Council has adopted the 2026–2030 Financial Plan. The updated budget reflects Council’s direction to include a property tax increase for 2026 and establish a surplus target of 15 % of the 2025 General Fund expenditures. The plan outlines approximately $83.4 million in total revenue and proposes borrowing to help fund key capital projects, including the planned East Side Fire Hall, Ryan Road sidewalk improvements, and Braidwood Road storm and roadway upgrades. For an average residential property assessed at $752,000, the portion of property taxes that goes directly to the City of Courtenay is projected to increase by about 7%, while the total property-related charges — including school, regional district, and other authorities — are expected to rise by approximately 6.6%.These figures are part of the overall financial strategy established in the adopted 2026–2030 plan.
Comox: Council adopts updated OCP and Zoning Bylaws.
Council has adopted both the updated Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw. This follows the decision at the January 21, 2026, to rescind second reading and re-read the OCP Bylaw with several amendments, including but not limited to the reduction of density in the Buena Vista neighbourhood and modifications to the sensitive ecosystems DP area and policies relating to the long-term use of the golf course. Council did the same with the Zoning Bylaw with amendments including but not limited to ALR setbacks, amenity area requirements, loading requirements and shipping containers.
CVRD: Regional District takes phase approach to implementing Zero Carbon Step Code
The Electoral Area Services Committee has approved a phased implementation of the BC Zero Carbon Step Code (ZCSC), part of the BC Building Code framework aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in new buildings through performance-based carbon limits. Under the phased approach, the Comox Valley Regional District will begin with Emission Level 2 (EL-2) in Spring 2026 and move to Emission Level 3 (EL-3) in January 2027. Pre-construction energy reports show many CVRD builders are already achieving Emission Level 4 (EL-4), indicating new residential construction is exceeding minimum carbon requirements. Next steps include preparing a communications plan with education and information sessions on the phased rollout in the electoral areas, and exploring opportunities to collaborate with member municipalities on public and industry education.
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