City budget called "seamless monolith"
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Dec 04/00) - The city's budget process is flawed and needs to be reworked said one councillor after last Thursday's long and tumultuous budget committee meeting.
Yellowknife city councillor Dave MacCann called administration's draft budget a "seamless monolith" which leaves little room for council's directives.
 Dave MacCann |
The budget's rigidity threw council for a loop when they tried to find extra money for core funding.
Three Yellowknife groups asked for increases to their annual sums last week but council couldn't seem to reach consensus on where the money should come from.
Suggestions ranged from throwing the budget back at administration and letting them find money, letting the budget stand as is, to running with a deficit paid up next year--according to city policy a deficit must be paid up the following year.
Coun. Ben Mcdonald said the city could live within their means and still run with a small deficit.
"We have a duty to support these groups," said Mcdonald, "with next year's projected surplus (a deficit) doesn't jeopardize us long term."
Coun. Blake Lyons disagreed with Mcdonald and said the city should hold the line, arguing that council should be ready for unforseen costs.
"We have to be financially responsible," said Lyons, "we shouldn't spend money we don't have."
In the end council recommended Folk on the Rocks get a $2,500 increase to their core funding and the Yellowknife Seniors Society get $6,500. Only councillors Alan Woytuik and Lyons voted against the motion.
Now the city has to find $9,000 somewhere in the budget.
The budget will go before council to be ratified on Monday.
"We will find the $9,000 somewhere on Monday," said Lyons adding he wouldn't let the city operate at a deficit.
