One new staff member will be added to the non-profit Nanaimo Victim Services, which helps victims of crime recover. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

helping hand

Nanaimo Victim Services to receive half of $100,000 funding requested

Nov 26, 2019 | 8:37 AM

NANAIMO — The under-funded Nanaimo Victim Services is receiving some help from the City, but not as much as was hoped.

Councillors recently agreed during ongoing budget discussions to fund $50,000 for one additional Victim Services staff member. The original request was for two additional members to bolster resources and help bear the emotional toll places upon existing staff and volunteers.

The non-profit group works to help victims of serious crime such as murder, assault and sexual abuse find their way through the complicated court process, as well as connect them with proper grief and emotional support.

Councillor Ben Geselbracht said on Monday, Nov. 25 funding one but not two new staff members is a sign of modest support.

“I think this is an incredibly important service in the community,” he said. “I think it’s deserving of two additional staff members, however we need to be mindful of our budget this year.”

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One staff member equals a .05 per cent tax increase, with two staff members adding up to a .09 per cent increase.

After Monday’s discussion, the budget sits at 5.1 per cent.

Coun. Don Bonner voiced his objection to the motion, saying if the organization was deserving of two full-time staff members they should receive the funding requested.

“Not only has their funding not increased for the better part of 10 years and is less than what we were giving them a long, long time ago, our population has increased and our crime rates have not decreased.”

Current City of Nanaimo funding for Victim Services is lagging behind 2004 levels. (handout)

Nanaimo Victim Services handled more than 800 files in 2018 on what was described as a “shoestring” budget.

Councillors around the table expressed their support for the service.

Mayor Len Krog said it was “ridiculous” the full budget for victim services wasn’t handled by the province.

Currently, the Ministry of Solicitor General and Public Safety funds nearly $85,000 of the $148,000 budget for Victim Services.

With the funding of one new staff member, the City of Nanaimo will pay more than the province for the service.

Larger efforts are underway to have the province increase the funding provided to Victim Services across B.C.

A resolution urging the ministry to increase funding was endorsed at the 2019 Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit