Let the Numbers Do the Talking

Nanaimo 2018–2025: Taxes, Staffing, Wages and Population

Figures do not lie — but only if all the figures are on the table.

Taxpayers are often told that rising costs are simply the unavoidable result of growth. More people means more services. More services means more cost. That part is true — up to a point.

But the real question is this: have City costs been rising in line with population growth, or have they been rising much faster?

The following comparison looks at Nanaimo from 2018 to 2025. It includes total taxation, taxes and payments in lieu, staffing, wages and benefits, and population growth.

The numbers are not adjusted for inflation. They are presented in plain dollars, as reported and budgeted. The purpose is simple: let taxpayers see the scale of change.

Nanaimo 2018 vs 2025 — Headline Comparison

Measure	2018	2025	Increase	% Increase
Population — Nanaimo City	98,877	111,845	+12,968	+13.1%
Taxes revenue, City line only	$105.1M	$169.5M	+$64.4M	+61.3%
City taxation + payments in lieu retained	$107.1M	$172.6M	+$65.5M	+61.1%
Total taxes + payments in lieu collected	$171.6M	$286.7M	+$115.1M	+67.1%
Collections for other governments	$64.4M	$114.0M	+$49.6M	+77.1%
Wages / salaries / benefits line	$64.8M	$99.4M	+$34.5M	+53.3%
Municipal FTEs, excluding RCMP	602.9	752.0	+149.1	+24.7%
RCMP FTEs	145.0	169.0	+24.0	+16.6%
Total FTEs, including RCMP	747.9	921.0	+173.1	+23.1%

Per Resident Comparison

Population growth matters. But when costs grow much faster than population, taxpayers have every right to ask what is driving the increase.

Measure	2018	2025	Increase	% Increase
City taxation + PIL per resident	$1,084	$1,544	+$460	+42.5%
Total taxes + PIL collected per resident	$1,735	$2,563	+$828	+47.7%
Wages / benefits per resident	$656	$888	+$233	+35.5%
Total FTEs per 1,000 residents	7.56	8.23	+0.67	+8.9%

The Policing Caveat

This is where taxpayers need to pay close attention. RCMP staffing appears in the staffing totals, but much of the policing cost does not appear in the City wages and benefits line.

A large part of policing is booked through contracted services. That means a simple look at City wages alone does not show the full public safety cost being carried by taxpayers.

Police Measure	2018	2025	Increase	% Increase
Police wages / benefits	$4.75M	$7.73M	+$2.98M	+62.6%
Police contracted services	$23.29M	$33.12M	+$9.83M	+42.2%
Police total expenses	$28.66M	$43.93M	+$15.27M	+53.3%
RCMP FTEs	145.0	169.0	+24.0	+16.6%

What the Numbers Say

From 2018 to 2025, Nanaimo’s population increased by about 13%.

Over the same period, City taxation and payments in lieu retained by the City increased by about 61%.

Total taxes and payments in lieu collected through the tax bill increased by about 67%.

Wages, salaries and benefits increased by about 53%.

Municipal staffing, excluding RCMP, increased by almost 25%.

That is the question taxpayers need answered:
If population grew by 13%, why did taxation, staffing costs and total collections rise so much faster?

This is not about attacking staff. It is not about blaming one department. It is not about pretending growth has no cost.

It is about asking whether City Hall is measuring affordability from the taxpayer’s side of the counter, or simply building budgets based on what the system wants to spend.

Taxpayers do not need spin. They do not need slogans. They need clear numbers, honest comparisons and a council willing to ask hard questions before the tax bill lands in the mailbox.

Nanaimo Votes 2026: Before choosing who gets to spend your money, take the time to understand how much more of it City Hall is already taking.

Source note: Figures are drawn from City of Nanaimo financial statements, City financial planning/staffing schedules, and Nanaimo population estimates. Dollar figures are nominal and not inflation-adjusted. Some 2025 figures may be budgeted rather than final audited actuals.

VOICE of NANAIMO

CITY COSTS RISING FASTER THAN POPULATION