Cash flow, round three

City council has raised a scalpel toward next year's 8.97 per cent property tax increase.

By Tuesday, more than 60 motions were raised to cut or add funding. The cuts amount to $2.7 million for 2009 alone, with other capital changes proposed in 2010 and 2011.

Spend thrift

Here's a sampling of recent cuts proposed for 2009. (For past motions click here).  

• Cut $371,2000 for affordable housing from the capital budget. (Lorie Garritty). Note: the city previously asked the St. Albert Housing Society to raise the funds, as a condition of $740,000 in grant. 
• Cut $200,000 from Servus Place's material, goods and supplies budget (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $105,800 for Riel Recreation Park operations (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $100,000 from the snow and ice removal budget (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $100,000 from Servus Place's contracted and general goods budget (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $30,300 for a landscape technologist (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $32,100 from the environmental management system program by reducing proposed staff to a half-time position (Nolan Crouse)
• Cut $25,000 from the 150th anniversary budget (Len Bracko)
• Cut $25,000 for murals at Servus Place (Roger Lemieux)

• Cut $20,000 for SmartDriver program (James Burrows)

More cuts

A few motions targeted significant capital spending beyond 2009:
• Cut $2.4 million from the 2010 capital budget for Riel Park landfill reclamation (Nolan Crouse)

• Cut $1.4 million from the 2010 utility capital budget for Riel Park remediation (Nolan Crouse)

Hold off

Council also made a few motions to delay spending:
• Defer for one year $216,200 from snow and ice control budget (Len Bracko)
• Defer for one year $225,000 for a tandem truck/snow plow (Len Bracko)
• Defer for one year $400,000 for St. Albert Place upgrades over 2010-11 (Nolan Crouse)

Spend more

Council members also introduced motions to increase or fast track spending:

• Fund $88,500 for RCMP youth asset development officers starting in 2009, not 2010; Fund $205,000 for asset development in 2010, not 2011 (Lorie Garritty)

• Fund $25,000 for a train whistle bylaw (Nolan Crouse)

All motions will be debated starting Nov. 26.