Levels of Service

The District of Lake Country strives to deliver established and sustainable services that:

• Comply with legislated requirements

• Protect and uphold public safety, community well-being and the environment

• Reliably provide services to meet the needs of the community according to Council’s Vision

Understanding the Financial Aspects

A new service or an increase in the level of service of an existing one will cost more and therefore requires additional funding. Council’s goal is to maintain a balance between levels of service so there is enough funding and resourcing for the provision of all services.

Financial considerations when setting a Level of Service include the following:

• The cost of delivering services goes up every year due to inflation and other factors, depending on the circumstances. A tax increase is required just to keep pace and maintain the same levels of service as the previous year. Any new services or increase to existing levels of service would require a further tax increase above and beyond the amount to address rising costs.

• Money is set aside in reserves for anticipated service level increases in future years. If the cost of delivering the service goes up more than the projection in the multi-year plan, decisions must be made to either lower the scope or standard, increase the duration of the program or fund the increased cost.

• Cost, especially as it relates to taxation, is a key consideration when defining levels of service but it is not the sole determining factor. It may be appropriate to define the level of service first and then determine the cost and the best way to fund it afterwards.