2009-11 budget operating highlights

The draft 2009-11 budget was released on Friday. It calls for $123.4 million in spending next year (municipal and utilities), $133.8 million in 2010 and $145.7 million in 2011.

Although a three-year budget is not a foregone conclusion (given Coun. Roger Lemieux's pending motion tonight to revert to a single year), here is a year-by-year breakdown of operational spending highlights. I'll do a separate post on the capital side.

Note: these are proposed budget items.

2009
Proposed tax increase: 8.97 per cent
Municipal spending: $101.1 million
New operating requests: $2.4 million

Operating highlights

- Fire station No. 3 staff, $540,000

- Servus Place lifecycle plan (repairs and equipment), $300,000

- Snow and ice control (roads - restore standards), $216,200

- Downtown area redevelopment plan, $189,000

- Riel Recreation Park maintenance/operations, $205,800

- 2011 Alberta 55-Plus Winter Games, $185,000

- 150th anniversary celebrations, $150,000

What didn't make it (highlights):
- Tree bylaw implementation, $100,000; Capital Region Board (CRB) initiatives, $100,000; incentives for affordable housing, $150,000

2010
Proposed tax increase: 8.41 per cent
Municipal spending: $109.3 million
New operating requests: $5.6 million

Operating highlights

- Extra office space, $1 million

- Fire station No. 3 staff, $720,000

- Servus Place lifecycle plan, $350,000

- Fire services platoon chiefs, $334,000

- Sidewalks (restore snow and ice control standards), $275,000

- Snow and ice control (roads), $272,100

- Riel Recreation Park maintenance/operations, $205,800

- 150th celebrations, $150,000

What didn't make it:
- Transit local route improvements (off peak), $330,000; incentives for affordable housing, $150,000; tree bylaw implementation, $104,000; CRB, $100,000

2011
Proposed tax increase: 8.60 per cent
Municipal spending: $118.4 million
New operating requests: $9.6 million

Operating highlights

- Extra office space, $852,900

- Fire station No. 3 staff, $720,000

- Fire staffing (for high rise development), $480,000

- Fire services platoon chiefs, $414,000

- Servus Place lifecyle plan, $400,000

- RCMP staffing, $349,000

- Sidewalks snow and ice, $304,300

- Snow and ice control (roads), $272,100

- Riel Recreation Park maintenance/operations, $205,800

- 150th celebrations, $200,000

- Staff transition fund (succession planning), $200,000

- Tree maintenance, $172,400

- Consultant to review east transit routes (including Servus Place), $175,000

What didn't make it
- Transit local route improvements (off peak), $500,000; incentives for affordable housing, $150,000; CRB, $100,000; tree bylaw implementation, $87,100