Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 16/04) - City Hall may do away with its three-year budgeting plan after administration admitted, Tuesday, that the added work makes it difficult to get it out on time.

Under the territorial government's Cities, Towns and Villages Act, municipalities are required to have their annual budgets approved by Dec. 31 each year, but city administrator Max Hall told city council, Tuesday morning, that his staff are having a hard time meeting the deadline.

The budget has come late three times in the past four years - including this year's budget - which wasn't approved by council until Jan. 19.

The city's tardiness angered some groups last December, including the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, which chastised council for delivering a draft budget for residents to review just before the Christmas rush.

Hall insisted delivering the budget on time is still possible, but it might be a little rough around the edges.

"If you want the budget Dec. 31, we'll do it Dec. 31," said Hall.

"What we are saying is we won't have the time to do due diligence."

Hall's admittance caused Coun. Doug Witty to wonder whether the city would be better off going back to a one-year budget.

"If we created a paper jungle for administration, we should re-evaluate that," said Witty.

Council voted to adopt a three-year budget timetable at the recommendation of administration three years ago.

The goal at the time was to give the city a more accurate forecast of its financial outlook.

At least four councillors at Tuesday's committee meeting indicated that they would be willing to go back to a one-year plan, including Witty, Alan Woytuik, Blake Lyons and David McCann.

"When we sit down to debate, we're still focused on the first year," said Woytuik.

"It's a huge document. Do we need all that information in there?"

But three other councillors - Mark Heyck, Kevin O'Reilly and Bob Brooks - spoke in favour of sticking with the status quo.

"It's a good tool to look at long-range goals," said Heyck.

"I appreciate some members of the public are frustrated with the timing, but maybe it's just a bullet they may have to bite."

Council will likely decide on how to proceed with next year's budget at the next council meeting, April 26.