Council will get a look tonight at administration's recommendations to reduce next year's property tax increase by one percentage point.
If approved, homeowners would see their taxes increase by 4.83 per cent, down from the current 5.91 per cent hike.
The proposal, which council asked for two weeks ago, includes changes on both the revenue and expense side.
Here are some highlights:
- Lower investment income by $732,000
- Save $540,000 by not hiring nine new firefighters
- Add $240,000 in overtime costs for fire department
- Add $286,000 in revenue from higher than expected assessment growth
- Save $150,000 by cutting fuel budget (on top of $375,000 already cut)
- Lower staff benefit budget by $250,000
- Cut $188,900 in operating costs that can be eliminated because capital spending was not approved.
- Drop insurance premiums by $100,000 (the city would be assuming higher risk)
- Cut $87,400 for RCMP staffing from budget to more closely reflect actual officers on staff.
- Save $66,600 by hiring new staff on May 1, instead of April 1.
There are a few more suggestions to cut spending by a few thousand here and a couple thousand there.
Interestingly, the 1.08 point reduction includes the $540,000 for the new firefighter staff. When I spoke with Mayor Nolan Crouse last week about this list of recommendations, he felt the firefighter business case should be separate.
"My guess is [the $540,000] is outside that one per cent," Crouse said. "And it kind of better be."
Council meets tonight at 4 p.m.
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