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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A city council of mostly rookie politicians passed the first budget since 2004 without a property tax increase Monday night.

Council unanimously accepted the $74.2-million budget, including a capital spending surplus of $54,643, after three nights of line-by-line readings last week in which $368,000 was shaved from expenditures. The budget includes $64.8 million in revenue, $33.1 in capital spending, $20.5 million in debt and $1.3 million in debt principle repayment.

The monthly solid waste levy tacked onto water bills will again increase by two dollars to $16.50 in 2013. Tipping fees at the dump will also once again rise by 10 per cent in 2013.

Coun. Bob Brooks, now into his seventh term as the longest serving member on city council, said this year's budget review was probably the most intense he has seen since first getting elected in 1991.

"Was this a budget debated properly? Absolutely," he said.

"Since 1991, we have never gone to the extent of the debate that this budget has gone through."

Coun. Cory Vanthuyne voted against last year's budget with its 2.83 per cent tax increase. He said he was happy to support the budget this year.

"I am very pleased to see after nine consecutive years of property tax increases that city hall says Yellowknife citizens will not be receiving a 10th consecutive tax increase."

Vanthuyne said he would like to see the surplus go toward a council-specific budget that council can use to hire an independent consultant to review the finances of individual city departments. Coun. Adrian Bell, who also supports hiring an independent consultant, said he was pleased with the outcome of the budget but added some of the savings that were found were only the "low hanging fruit."

"The only way we are going to get at these issues and find efficiencies is with these third-party reviews," he said, adding the independent consultant would report directly to council. "There is a lot of fruit higher up the tree, but we need help to get at it."

Bell said last week that he was not happy that he didn't have full information on departmental operations and maintenance costs in order to find efficiencies beyond capital projects.

Mayor Mark Heyck said third party reviews have taken place in the past.

"We have had operational reviews in the past at public works three or four years ago and there were several improvements in the way that department operates as a result," he said.

"It can be an ongoing relationship as well where it isn't just a matter of having the operation done once."

Chamber of Commerce president Jason McEvoy said he was pleased with the outcome of the budget.

"Clearly we are quite pleased that council and administration worked closely together to get a 0 per cent tax increase," he said. "We are pretty happy to see the city retain a (third) building inspector that had been slated to be cut. This will ensure building permits are issued in a timely fashion. "The thought that they might get rid of the position would slow the process unnecessarily."

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