By Transition Salt Spring Elections & Candidates, Local News – October 6, 2026 on the Salt Spring Exchange. See the original post here.
All three candidates for CRD Area Director in the October 17 election responded to a Community Resiliency questionnaire sent by Transition Salt Spring in collaboration with the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust.
See below their responses, verbatim, to question 1 about emergency preparedness funding.
(Candidate responses to all questions: https://transitionsaltspring.com/election-2026-questions/)
Q1. Emergency Preparedness Funding: As climate hazards such as drought, wildfires, and floods grow, the difference between a community that copes and one that doesn’t often comes down to whether they invested sufficient resources in local emergency preparedness efforts. Salt Spring’s Emergency Management Program currently receives only half of the budget provided for the Southern Gulf Islands, despite having twice the population size.
Will you support increased funding for emergency preparedness and services in CRD budget decisions, even when it competes with other service requests? (YES, NO, WITH QUALIFICATIONS)
Jesse Jule: YES Emergency preparedness is an essential service, and I would support increased funding. My concern is whether we’re ready as an island for a major earthquake, a wildfire threatening homes and lives or a severe storm. We need to be able to look after each other as a community. For the 2027 budget, I’d ask the Emergency Program to explain what it can handle now, where the gaps are and what resources it needs to address them. That gives the Board a clear basis for funding the work and helping responders and neighbourhood groups prepare together. Budgets involve trade-offs. I’d give preparedness a high priority and be open with residents about the costs and choices.
Jennifer Lannan: YES Budgets should be proportional, where possible. Regarding matters of geographic size and population, it is only fair and equitable to right-size the budget. If elected, I will direct Community Works Funds (gas tax) to resilience, strengthen our emergency program, push to reinstate an inter-agency water protection body and partner with TSS on the Climate Action Plan. Let’s make the best choices for the next generation.
Brian Webster: WITH QUALIFICATIONS Emergency management is critical, particularly as climate change impacts become more severe. Salt Spring’s Emergency Program should receive more funding if necessary to function effectively. It is a CRD service, but authority has not been delegated to the LCC, so I have not been able to review the budget, hear about its needs, or otherwise participate in its management. If I am elected, that will change, as I will bring administrative authority to the LCC, opening decision-making to public scrutiny and making annual budget decisions more open and democratic. I wonder whether a comparison with the Southern Gulf Islands is fully appropriate, given the differences between delivering a program on five small islands compared to a single larger island. I will reserve comment on the appropriate budget until I have had a chance to learn more about the program and its funding needs.