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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City budget deliberations are unlikely to cause your average citizen to jump out of their chair with excitement. However, the city is hoping a new interactive tool will encourage Yellowknifers to take interest in its budget process.

Nalini Naidoo, the city's director of communications and economic development, tries to balance the budget with the city's new online tool, Our Yellowknife Budget. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

Our Yellowknife Budget is an interactive budget tool that gives residents the opportunity to try and submit a balanced budget.

The software is being promoted as part of a wider effort on the part of the city to have greater resident participation in the budget process.

According to Mayor Mark Heyck, the short survey is intended to "demystify the budget."

"We often get lots of questions around budget time about various funds and capital projects," said Heyck. "This teaches residents what (those things) would actually cost.

"We will not only gain more input from the community, but also give residents a better understanding of the process."

Unlike actual budget deliberations which can drag on for hours, the online budget tool takes a few minutes to fill out, depending on how long you want to spend thinking about your choices.

On the form, there are 9 services and projects users can decide to fund, all of which are based on items that council has already debated in the lead up to this year's budget.

Some of the options include continuing to fund the day shelter, increasing bus service and adding more recycling drop-off points.

Residents can also vote on whether they would like to have curbside pickup for composting. What makes the program interesting is the fact that deciding what to fund and what not to fund is reflected in city taxes.

For example, continuing to fund the day shelter will cost $50,000. If a property's assessed value is $205,200 - the average for the city - municipal taxes will go up $0.31 per month or 0.21 per cent.

"It's useful to have real life dollars attached to these things," said Heyck. "It's meant to present challenges and some trade-offs."

Nalini Naidoo, director of communications and economic development, said she used the online tool to increase a number of municipal services to determine how it would affect taxes.

"That's when I started to ask, 'do I really want to do this?'" said Naidoo.

Heyck said the software program is part of a wider initiative of involving the public in the budget process. On top of the online survey, the city will be holding an open house on Oct. 23. It will also be taking out full page advertisements to help describe some of the more complicated terms that are used in the budget process.

The city is also offering the opportunity for groups to have Carl Bird, director of corporate services, explain the budget to their membership

Naidoo said giving groups with an established membership the opportunity to talk with Bird one-on-one would make the budget process less intimidating and more inclusive.

"It's hard to stand up in front of council sometimes," said Naidoo.

For the time being, the program, which can be found on the city's website, is being used mostly as an educational tool for residents.

However, if the trial is successful, there is the chance the city will expand its use and formally integrate it into the budget process.

"We're trying to attract more people to talk about the budget," said Naidoo.

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