It’s that time of year again, time to “HAVE YOUR SAY”!
If you live in Victoria, tell Mayor and Council to reject a 14% budget increase for VicPD, including hiring 25 more officers, and instead invest that money in initiatives that actually foster safety, such as housing, neighbourhoods, arts and culture, and libraries. If you are a homeowner, make sure to mention that you don’t want your property taxes supporting more police!
Here’s how to provide feedback on the updated 2026-2030 Draft Financial Plan. Comments must be submitted by January 23 at 11:59 pm.
- Submit written comments:
- Email:legislativeservices@victoria.ca
- BCC: defundvicpd @ proton.me (optional)
- Mail:Legislative Services, City of Victoria, 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC V8W 1P6
- Drop off: to the Ambassador in the City Hall foyer, weekdays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or the drop box outside the Pandora Avenue entrance, 24 hours
- Email:legislativeservices@victoria.ca
- Submit a pre-recorded video:
- Videos may be uploaded at the following link by clicking “select files”: 2026 Draft Financial Plan OPC
In your recording, please state your name and address (a street name is sufficient). Videos may be up to five minutes in length. If you have any issues uploading your video, please contact legislativeservices@victoria.ca.
Sources: 2026 Draft Budget | Highlights: 2026 Draft Budget
We’ve compiled Talking Points, a Letter Template, and Video Script to support your submissions.
Talking Points for Draft Budget Input Opportunity
- The City is proposing a 14% increase in operating spending for VicPD, up from $68.2 million to $78 million.
- VicPD’s total budget is set to rise to $90 million, and Victoria’s share ($78 million) constitutes almost a quarter of the city’s total budget for 2026.
- VicPD costs more per capita than any of B.C.’s other 11 municipal police departments or 67 RCMP municipal units. VicPD wants to push that cost even higher in 2026, to $750 per person.
- In comparison, the total proposed budget for the Greater Victoria Public Library is $6.9 million and the budget for all of Parks & Recreation is only $22.7 million.
- Thanks to advocacy from Victoria Transit Riders Union, the Youth Bus Pass program was saved from the chopping block.
However, in order to afford the massive increase to VicPD’s budget, the City is proposing cutting funding to:- Arts, Culture, and Events: down 18%
- Neighbourhoods (which includes supports for neighbourhood associations and community building): down 4.3%
- Climate Action: down 10%
- Citywide Planning (which includes developing and implementing policies for affordable housing, tenant assistance, and equity initiatives): down 8.4%
- The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: down 3.1%
- Community Grants: down 8.3%
- Meanwhile, the proposed budget for bylaw services has gone up from $5.4 million to $9.7 million, an 80% increase!
- Furthermore, in order to meet VicPD’s demands, the city is proposing a property tax increase of 10.44%, half of which is just for the police.
Letter Template & Video Script
A personalized letter or video is best, but if it’s useful, feel free to use this template when recording your video or writing your letter and customize it so it’s personal to you and the issues you care about.
If you use the template, make sure to only choose the sections that are relevant to you, and replace the bold text below!
Hello, my name is [first and last name] and I am a Victoria resident, residing on [street]. I am opposed to a 14% increase to the budget for the Victoria Police Department, including the hiring of 25 more officers.
a. As a homeowner, I am opposed to the city increasing property taxes in order to meet the ballooning demands of VicPD. I want my property taxes to go toward [housing/social programs/arts and culture, etc.], not hiring more police officers, because I know that community is what keeps us safe, not cops.
b. As an artist, I am appalled by the city’s decision to cut funding to arts and culture by 18% in next year’s budget, while giving a huge increase to VicPD. Victoria is already a very challenging place to make a living as an artist and, by prioritizing the police in next year’s budget, this will only serve to drive artists away from our city and make it a less vibrant, attractive place to live.
c. As a renter, I urge Mayor and council to redirect funds from the police into programs that actually make our city safer, such as affordable housing programs. The 2026 Draft Budget proposes decreasing funding to community grants, neighbourhood housing, and city planning programs such as tenant assistance. These are the types of programs that make it possible for me to find community and get a foothold in this city and, without them, I might be forced to move elsewhere.
d. As a person with lived/living experience of homelessness, mental health, or substance use challenges, I am appalled by the City of Victoria’s focus on the police as the solution to making Victoria “safer.” Police and bylaw continue to harass and traumatize people sheltering on the streets and in parks. We need to invest in alternatives to the police that address the root causes of homelessness and crime, such as giving people a warm place to sleep or a safe place to use drugs.
e. As a parent/guardian/caregiver of a young person, I am concerned how the City of Victoria and Province of BC continue to ignore the evidence surrounding school liaison officers and continue to fund these programs and the police more broadly. Multiple organizations opposed continuing the program, including the BC Teachers’ Federation and the BC Human Rights Commissioner, stating that they make schools unsafe for Black and Indigenous students or are not evidence-based. Our students don’t need police officers. They need more teachers, special education supports, and after-school programming.
I know that many people are concerned about public safety in Victoria, and I am too. But, I also know that more police are not the answer. I urge Mayor and Council to stop capitulating to VicPD’s demands. Instead, invest these funds in community programs.
As someone who plans to vote in the 2026 municipal election, I will be paying close attention to your decisions these next few months.
Thank you for your time.
[Name]
[Address or street name, City of Victoria Resident]