When municipalities need to borrow funds or seek approval on critical matters outside of an election year, an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) can be held to put questions to electors. AAPs are provincially legislated and can be used for a variety of matters, including borrowing money for a project, establishing new municipal services or adjusting parkland dedications.
To ensure we don’t overburden taxpayers with higher annual tax lifts, borrowing helps to spread the financial impact over several years. Local governments must obtain consent of the electors for borrowing where the costs for servicing its total debt exceed 5% of eligible revenue.
Council has approved a long-term debt strategy that incorporates the cost of borrowing into the Financial Plan. A Debt Management Strategy has also been approved allowing the District to use 14% of prior year revenue to service debt. Saanich is currently well within the limit, which has been established in accordance with financial planning principles and to meet the future core service delivery requirements of the District.
Why an AAP?
An AAP is a cost-effective and efficient way to gauge public support for local government initiatitves. It allows the electors to have a say and have their opposition counted by submitting an Elector Response Form. This process ensures that significant decisions reflect the community’s wishes while saving resources.
Recent AAP
The Alternative Approval Process (AAP) for the "Saanich Operations Centre Redevelopment Project Loan Authorization Bylaw, 2024, No. 10105" ran from May 21 to June 25, 2025 and has now concluded.
Once the results have been certified by the Corporate Officer, they will be included on an upcoming Council meeting agenda. Following that, the District will share the results through a news release on saanich.ca and through updates on its social media channels.
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