September 3, 2025
RED FM News Desk
A recent report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has found that spending by regional districts in British Columbia is increasing faster than population, inflation, and property taxes. This trend is leading to higher taxes for small businesses at a time when they can least afford it.
“Regional districts are massively overspending and deserve more scrutiny,” said Ryan Mitton, CFIB’s Director of Legislative Affairs for B.C.
The report, titled “Bureaucracy over Basics: An Examination of Regional District Spending Growth,” analyzed the spending of all 27 B.C. regional districts. It identified Nanaimo, North Okanagan, Peace River, Fraser Valley and qathet as the top five most efficient regional districts.
The five least efficient regional districts were:Cariboo, Mount Waddington, Alberni-Clayoquot, Capital and Sunshine Coast
According to a CFIB survey, 53% of small businesses feel that regional districts are unresponsive to their needs. Since 2018, regional districts have, on average, increased their budgets by 34%, with administrative costs growing by 43%.
The CFIB is urging the province to reinstate the Auditor General for Local Government to hold local governments accountable for their spending.
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