About The RDCK

Incorporated in 1965, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is one of 27 regional districts in the Province of British Columbia created to provide local government services and political accountability for people living in the unincorporated (rural) areas outside of municipal boundaries.  In addition, regional districts are widely used to provide services and facilities for both municipal and non-municipal residents in a cooperative manner.

The creation of Regional Districts opened the door for partnerships in service delivery and the management of issues that transcend municipal and electoral area boundaries, such as waste management, water distribution, fire protection and much more.

Regional Districts have provided a platform whereby municipalities and electoral areas can work together and combine their efforts to provide those services desired by the people of the area, regardless of municipal and/or electoral area boundaries.

How this works is that the Regional Board responds to locally expressed needs for services and consults with residents about which services it can provide, where they can be provided and how the services are to be financed. Some services are only provided to part of an electoral area, others have service areas that include municipalities and electoral areas, while others are provided region-wide. The cost of these services are recovered from the residents who benefit from the service, either through user fees, property taxes or some other source, thus providing consistent, efficient, cost-effective delivery of those services requested by the local electorate.

Although the primary cost-recovery method is taxation, the Regional District does not tax directly. In electoral areas, property taxes are levied and collected by the Province. Within municipal boundaries, property taxes for Regional District services are paid to the municipalities. The Province and municipalities then transfer funds to the Regional District.

Mission Statement

To facilitate the provision of services and to represent the residents of the Regional District of Central Kootenay in the most efficient and financially and administratively effective means possible in a fashion that meets the needs of the residents.

Attached Document

Know Your Regional District Brochure (973.4 kB)