Low turnout for budget talks
Seven people share input on city infrastructure projects last week
Randi Beers
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 7, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Despite property tax and municipal services fee increases woven into next year's Yellowknife capital budget, only a handful of people came out to four open house sessions last week at city hall.
According to Carl Bird, the city's director of corporate services, nobody came out to last Tuesday's noon open house, one person attended the Tuesday evening session and approximately six people dropped by last Thursday afternoon.
Within the budget, the city is proposing a 2.98 per cent property tax increase, a 10 per cent increase to water and sewer user fees and a five per cent increase to solid waste facility fees to cover a $1.4 million boost in spending.
This year's proposed capital budget tops off at just under $22 million, with $8.3 million earmarked for a new water treatment plant, $3 million for road rehabilitation and $2.8 million for an ongoing project to replace the city's rotting corrugated metal pipes.
Two people who dropped by the open house Thursday afternoon commended the city on its new composting initiative.
Shannon Ripley, a waste reduction specialist with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Brian Kinzie, waste reduction program director for Ecology North, have both collaborated with the city on its new composting initiative and were glad to see it's off to a good start.
Both Ripley and Kinzie say they did not attend the open house as a representative of any organization, but as interested citizens.
"I really appreciate that the city is investing in (this) project," said Ripley.
"It's a big project and I really appreciate the work the city has done."
She also said she wanted to encourage the city to continue its Recreation for All program, which waives entry fees to Ruth Inch Memorial Pool and certain drop-in programs at the Yellowknife Fieldhouse for low-income families.
"I applaud their efforts in the last year to provide this sort of recreational programming," she said.
"I think it's great."
After guests had filtered out of the the open house, Bird said he was hoping for a bigger turnout and acknowledged the city "always gets concerns" about rising property taxes and municipal fees and he finds these concerns understandable.
"I pay increased taxes as well, I feel this burden as well," he said.
"It's that balance where everyone says they don't want their taxes to go up so I ask them, 'OK, what service would you like reduced?'"
Bird added the city has embarked on a number of cost-saving initiatives such as LED streetlights and wood pellet boilers to mitigate the city's increased spending.
He said he encourages any residents who didn't make it to the event to fill out an online budget survey, which can be found on the city website.
City councillors are scheduled to vote on the capital budget at a special meeting Dec. 15.
