Council approves 'put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is budget'
3.1 per cent tax increase approved despite last minute efforts to make cuts
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 13, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City taxpayers can expect a 3.109 per cent tax increase next year after council voted five to three in favour of approving the 2014 budget on Wednesday afternoon.
Three city councillors - Phil Moon Son, Adrian Bell and Cory Vanthuyne - decided not to support the budget, with the latter putting forward an eleventh hour motion to prevent a tax increase.
Vanthuyne suggested $750,000, which was allocated to repave and streetscape a section of 50 Street, be offset by a $750,000 reduction in roadwork scheduled to take place on 52 Avenue.
The motion to defer repaving a portion of 52 Avenue - so that it would be completed over a two-year period - would have ensured that there would be no tax increase this year.
However, administration explained that that $750,000 would ultimately be tacked on to the 2015 budget, and would equate to a 7.8 per cent tax increase.
The motion received the support of the three aforementioned councillors.
However, Coun. Niels Konge, who ran on a platform of having a zero per cent tax increase in 2014, said downtown revitalization was too important to defer the project.
"We talk about the downtown so much, and we all know there's no silver bullet, but if the city doesn't invest in downtown - if we don't take pride in it - no one will," he said in a speech that Mayor Mark Heyck said brought a tear to his eye.
"Give us five or six years and it'll pay off in spades."
Konge's compromise, which favoured the city offering more rather than less to residents, was indicative of several councillors' moods, including Dan Wong who referred to the final document as the "put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is budget."
City council veteran Bob Brooks added it was the most debated and reviewed budget he had ever participated in.
"There were items in here I did not agree with, but I do respect the process," said Brooks.
Included in the list of additional items approved in the budget are increased bus service with year-round routes to the hospital, as well as a new route to Niven Lake; an extra 21 trash containers and 26 cigarette butt canisters; $50,000 in funding for the day shelter; and $750,000 for the repaving of 50 Street.
Council also went back on an earlier decision and voted to add an additional bylaw officer to its municipal enforcement division.
On top of adding items to the budget, council was able to trim the tax increase down to 3.109 per cent from the 3.378 per cent increase originally proposed by administration.
On the other hand, council approved an increase in the single family solid waste levy to $18.50 per month, up from $16.50.
An average three per cent increase in user fees at city facilities was also approved and will take effect Sept. 1.
"At the end of the day, we have to look at what kind of value we get for our dollars, and I'd say on the whole we get quite good value for our tax dollars," said Heyck in his closing comments.
"It's a messy process - budgeting - but democracy is messy process."
