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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Some of Yellowknife's new crop of city councillors, overwhelmed by impending municipal budget deliberations, are calling for an extension by as much as two months in order to reduce the tax increase recommended by administration.

According to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, council has until the end of the year to pass the 2013 budget before it is sent to the GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for approval.

The act also allows the minister the power to vary timelines for budget approval.

City council members spent this week in budget orientation meetings.

"The first thing I am hoping to delay is the deadline (Dec. 12), perhaps by asking MACA for an extension or using an interim budget or one of these measures," said Coun. Adrian Bell, adding a two-month extension - to Feb. 12 - would be beneficial. "I don't know if any of these things are possible yet but I believe previous councils have found ways to do this.

"There is no way with this short time period that we can properly scrutinize this budget. Something has to be done. Either we quit our day jobs fully or get a little more time to look at this."

Bell said similar to legislative assemblies during an election year, MLAs have been able to put together an interim budget to give them time to pass a new budget.

Bell added that if council's main interest is to lower the amount of a tax increase for the benefit of citizens, the GNWT should be able to accommodate such a request.

Council participated in an orientation with city administration this week which largely included an explanation of how the budget process works.

The first municipal services committee for the new council is to be held next Monday, where a draft presentation of the 2013 budget will be made.

Residents are invited to attend the Nov. 26 regular council meeting to provide comments toward the budget, before the final budget is to be passed Dec. 12.

City administration had proposed a 2.97 per cent tax increase for 2013 at a Sept. 10 municipal services committee meeting but councillors want that figure reduced.

"We've been told that they have brought down their projection for the tax increase and I am going to be pushing for zero per cent," said Bell, adding he will continue to push toward the zero mark. "Eight years of increases is too many and I believe zero per cent is the least we can do."

While council has yet to reach consensus on the budget, there are other councillors who support an extension.

"I'm of the opinion that they need us to approve the budget, so we can take as long as we want," said Coun. Niels Konge. "I do think the timing is a little crunched, but I also understand that is legislated by MACA that we have to have it done by the end of the year. That may be a problem that we as councillors can't address."

Like Bell, Konge said getting a zero per cent tax increase for 2013 remains a priority for him as well.

"I am pretty much committed to zero tax increases and we are going to have to work to get there," he said. "I have heard that administration has already begun working to get there because that is what several of the councillors want."

Coun. Rebecca Alty said Monday that after the budget orientation this week, she may think differently, but an extension should not be necessary given that council has a month and half to pass the budget.

"For right now all the councils in the past have made it work, so I think we may be able to, too," she said. "It will definitely be a lot of work and we will have to put in the time, but I think we all signed up for that."

She is not committing to a zero per cent tax increase because she is wary of hurting municipal services.

"I want to make sure residents get the best services possible at the lowest cost possible," she said, adding affordability for living in the city is important. "I don't want to start slashing things just to hit this target because I don't think that is what people want either."

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