I’ve decided to repurpose this website as a blog – to share some of my thoughts on Esquimalt, on council, and on some of the important issues and decisions that Esquimalt council is considering.
Latest Posts
- Budget Thoughts 2026 – Part 3: The Operating BudgetThis is my third post on the 2026 budget. If you want the full context, the first two are here: https://www.duncancavens.ca/posts/2026-initial-budget-thoughts/https://www.duncancavens.ca/posts/2026-budget-capital-budget/ As always, these comments are my own. They are based on publicly available information and do not reflect the views of other councillors. I am doing some simple analysis here, and any errors are… Read More »Budget Thoughts 2026 – Part 3: The Operating Budget
- 2026 Budget – Capital BudgetEsquimalt council is once again in budget season, and dealing with a difficult 13% draft budget that staff have presented. A big part of the proposed budget increase (3% of that 13%) is related to increases in funds being set aside to support the Township’s capital budget. I will be making another post soon detailing some of… Read More »2026 Budget – Capital Budget
- 2026 Pre-Budget ThoughtsBudget Thoughts Esquimalt is about to start its annual budget process. Council will see staff’s first draft at the Council meeting on Monday, January 12. Esquimalt traditionally begins its budget process a bit later than many other municipalities, largely because we receive a substantial portion of our revenue from the federal government through the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes… Read More »2026 Pre-Budget Thoughts
- 2025 Budget: Sewer Infrastructure[As Council struggles with a draft budget increase of 14.5%, I thought I’d write a few posts summarizing some of the key drivers behind staff’s proposed increases. I’m planning on following up with posts on the Police Budget, new FTEs requested, as well as the Capital Plan in general. I do want to be clear… Read More »2025 Budget: Sewer Infrastructure
- Thoughts after a year on CouncilI’ve been reflecting on my first year on the Esquimalt Council—it has been quite a year, filled with a lot of reading, meeting lots of new people from across the region and a significant amount of learning. Despite my years of experience in municipal policy and having a keen interest in cities, local governments, and… Read More »Thoughts after a year on Council