WHY HOSPITAL TAX IS BLOWING UP

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

I live in Nanaimo.

I did not know this until now.

That “Hospital” line on our property tax bill is not set by City Hall.
It is set by the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District (NRHD).

Here is what has happened since 2021.

1. The NRHD has been raising its tax take very fast.
   On its own website, it says the NRHD tax requisition was almost doubled in 2022, then rose 28.2% in 2023 and 28.2% in 2024, and then 21% in 2025. 

2. What that looks like on a real bill:
   My “Hospital” line went from $67.69 (2021) to $271.49 (2025).
   That is about four times higher in four years.

3. Now the cath lab move:
   On Dec. 9, 2025, the NRHD board voted to put up to $50 million into its 2026–2030 capital plan for a cath lab at NRGH, to provide “full up-front financing,” and it also voted to “fund 100%” of the cath lab as part of its combined funding for the cath lab + patient tower projects. 

4. More increases may be coming.
   Local reporting says the draft 2026 plan is another 21% increase, and gives an example: about $534 next year for an $830,000 home. 

Here is why this is fair to question:
At that same Dec. 9 meeting, a motion was made to cut the requisition to $10 million until there is an agreement in place with the Province (60%) and a time frame. The board voted NO and defeated it.

So taxpayers are being asked to pay big money now, to build a cash pile for a future project—before the public sees a clear signed deal, a firm timeline, and a final price.

If this is the plan, fine.
But then publish it in plain words: total dollars, reserve target, stop rule, and the signed agreement.

CITY COUNCILORS  VOTE FOR RDN & HOSPITAL TAX BILL

Over the last decade, the public debate has been narrowed to “the City tax increase,” but the real household hit is the stacked bill: City + RDN + Hospital. What’s rarely said out loud is that many of the same elected officials who vote at City Hall also vote again as RDN and Hospital District directors—often on weighted financial votes where Nanaimo carries major voting strength. So when judging Mayor Krog-era councils, it’s not enough to track City taxes alone. The pattern of tax tolerance shows up across the whole system—City, RDN, and Hospital—and that combined outcome is part of the legacy.

Mayor Krog’s legacy isn’t just the City’s budget—it’s the combined tax trajectory created by the decisions made under multiple hats: City Council, RDN Director, and Hospital District Director. Voters should judge the full stack, not the headline slice.