By Cheryl Jahn

Budget Enhancements

Budget process wrapping up

Feb 24, 2020 | 8:16 PM

Council has passed all the final requests as is.

They include $400,000 (0.36%) for current security costs, security updates for parkades, $50,000 (.05%) for hardware costs in parkades, $236,000 (.21%) as the City’s portion of two pilot programs in the downtown, $273,249 (.25%) to add seven two-member RCMP officers for six additional hours of patrols per week, $189,051 (.17%) to upgrade two Bylaw compliance officers to Bylaw Enforcement Officers and add two more Bylaw Enforcement Officers, $274,495 (.25%) to add one equipment all year round and two labourers for nine months of the year to clean up camps, of which there were 117 last year.

The total bill for that enhancement is $1,422,795, or 1.29%.

That will be added to the tax increase of 2.15% already approved by Council, for a total hike of 3.44% for 2020.

But the decision was not made without plenty of discussion.

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A recent Select Committee on a Safe, Clean and Inclusive Community did not take a formal position on the enhancements, but urged the City to find savings from within. That was a position echoed by more than one Councillor. But, in the end, each Councillor approved the enhancements.

“Damned if we do, damned if we don’t,” stated Councillor Terri McConnachie. But she also pointed out that Council will have to “sharpen their pencils” during the next round of budget discussions.

“We’ve got a problem we need to address,” said Councillor Frank Everett.

“All of this amounts to the cost of doing business. It’s part of us as a community. I’m prepared to stand behind this report,” said Councillor Susan Scott.

“We have a need within our community tat has to be addressed,” Councillor Murray Krause.

In the end all five enhancements were passed, although Councillor Kyle Sampson voted against the paying for the downtown pilot projects in their entirety and the equipment operators, which he believed could by found within.

With the enhancements out of the way, the budget can be finalized, with the City having to submit a balanced budget by May 15th.