PRINCE GEORGE – After eight hours of discussion, Mayor and Council will be in budget discussions on Wednesday.
Roughly half of the departments have been addressed, though not the budgets for those departments.
Administration is suggesting a tax hike of 7.23 percent to maintain services.
However, there are a pair of additional “asks,” one from the RCMP and another from the Fire Department.
The RCMP is looking for funding for four additional officer and two additional staff, for a total of $1,020,646 or .86 percent in taxes.
The Fire Department is asking for $100,000 for a training facility feasibility study.
“Based on the police services review, I don’t know how we can say no to this,” noted Councillor Cori Ramsay about the RCMP’s budget enhancement request.
The same sentiment was expressed over the Fire Department’s request.
But that request highlighted the various forms in which higher levels of government are offloading onto local government, citing the number of medical calls, for example, the local Fire Department responds to due to chronically understaffed paramedics.
If both requests are approved, that will increase the tax hike to 8.17 percent.
However, there are options for Council to consider by way of a deferral. They are the option to spend the remainder of the Safe Start money of which there is roughly $2.8 million left. There is also a surplus in the snow control budget of roughly $2.3 million and there is also $2.3 million in a new Transit Operating Reserve.
Budget discussions resume on Wednesday at 3:30 in Council Chambers.
