Jess McDiarmid
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The 2008 budget scheduled for council approval on Monday, would result in property taxes increasing by 2.98 per cent following deliberations Tuesday and Wednesday.

The proposed tax rate represents an increase from the 2.53 per cent tax hike recommended by administration in the initial 2008 draft document.

The hike is slated to cover the costs of hiring an additional two firefighters starting in July 2008.

In a public presentation on the budget to council, the firefighters union called for 12 more staff "as quickly as possible."

Council passed a motion on Tuesday to increase funding for core and special grants by $111,000 - which would have raised taxes, without the additional firefighters, by 3.15 per cent - but had to backtrack on it because under territorial legislation, only two per cent of the budget can be allocated to those grants.

Instead, councillors opted to draft a resolution that will go to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, asking for an increase to allowable grants, and referred core grants worth $300,000 back to committee for further discussion.

New positions in 2008 include an equipment operator, two firefighters starting in July, three staff for community services and a human resources officer.

In the capital fund, councillors passed motions increasing spending by $115,000.

Coun. David Wind asked that renovations to the deteriorating library washrooms, planned for 2010, be moved forward to 2008.

Coun. Paul Falvo supported the motion, which requires an extra $65,000 in the 2008 capital fund.

"Our library staff are spending a lot of time doing things not related to being a librarian," said Falvo.

Coun. Kevin Kennedy also said he was happy to support it, particularly since the library washrooms are some of the only "de facto" public washrooms downtown.

The motion passed with most councillors in favour.

Developing a social plan that would bring various levels of government and community organizations together to solve problems such as crime, addiction and poverty also got a $20,000 tip of the hat - $40,000 less than the amount administration suggested it would cost.

"I think it's time for Yellowknife to start reacting to the concerns of the citizens," said Coun. Shelagh Montgomery, adding that social issues have been the top concern identified in citizen surveys for the past three years.

The budget also includes a 3.5 per cent increase to water rates, a hike expected to total more than 18 per cent over the next three years, aimed at getting the chronically deficit-ridden water and sewer fund back on track.

Another $30,000 was earmarked for an implementation plan for the Get Yk Clean initiative. Capital fund increases don't affect tax rates.