City of WL Budget Meeting # 1-2012

Present:

Mayor Cook and Councillors I. Bonnell, G. Bourdon, D. Hughes, SPS Rathor, L. Walters and S. Zacharias

Staff Present;

Brian Carruthers - CAO
Geoff Goodall - General Manager of Planning and Operations
Pat Higgins - Director of Finance
Ken MacInnis - Communications Coordinator

Others Present:

4 members of the public
Monica Lamb-Yorski - Williams Lake Tribune
Stephanie Mayne - The Rush/The Wolf

Meeting called to order at 6:02pm

Both Mayor Cook and the CAO reviewed the Budget Process from the Fall of 2011 with the old WL City Council until present

The Director of Finance then gave a PowerPoint presentation giving a summary of budget numbers and process to May 15th (Editor's Note - I'll link the presentation here as soon as the City makes the electronic version available)

Presentation included:

* Budget Timeline/Process
* Budget Objectives/Principles
* Assessment/Taxation Overview
* 2012 Budget Challenges (Rising Costs for Transit/RCMP/Wages as Unionized City Workers' Contract expires on July 1st, Loss of Industrial Assessment and Infrastructure Deficit - Roads, Water, Sewer)
* Debt Status (all funds - General, Water and Sewer) - $18,045,420
* Status of Reserves/Surplus as at Dec 31st, 2010 (2011 numbers not available until April 2012)

A Question and Answer ensued during the PowerPoint Presentation... between Staff/Council

Mayor Cook then summarized Budget direction to Staff, to date, as follows:

* Reduce spending by 3% from 2011 levels
* Project tax increase of 2-3% for 2012
* Capital Projects/Pavement Management Program

Council agreed to refer to a future Budget meeting a proposal to not increase Council's stipend (Rathor/Bonnell)

Meeting adjourned at 7:58pm
Next meeting: Jan 31st in Williams Lake Council Chambers at 6pm..

Editor's Observation:

While this meeting was a good start on proactively engaging the public on the 2012 Budget, it has a long ways to go including all budget meetings being at 7:00pm and not 6:00pm.  This slight change will, in my estimation, see more members of the public attending (notwithstanding the fact that weather had a bearing on public attendance tonight).  Also - allowing a process where members of Council/public can ask questions of Staff about Departmental Budgets and Priorities will also go a long way to having an effective budget process (Note - Kamloops Council will be doing this for their 2012 Budget and I'll have a story on this Thursday)

Meanwhile - Councillor Rathor, at the budget meeting tonight, suggested that the budget should include a 0% tax increase option.  While not raising taxes at all this year may be a palpable option to some - it needs to be discussed including showing what that looks like to City Services/Operations and this applies to tax increase scenarios of 2, 3, and 5% so a fullsome and healthy discussion/decision on what the 2012 Budget & Tax Rates should be

Finally - sparks flew at tonight's budget meeting between Mayor Cook and Councillor Rathor and although he argues that he should have equal opportunity to speak like other Councillors, he doesn't necessarily have to repeat what other Councillors' have to say but I will admit Mayor Cook had her hands full trying to keep Council focussed on tonight's Budget Meeting.

Hopefully - how Councillor Rathor felt he was treated by Mayor Cook will be a "one-off" event and Jan 31st and subsequent budget meetings will see Mayor Cook give equal treatment to all Councillors including Councillor Rathor

All in all - a good start.  I'm looking forward to Jan 31st when the 2012 Draft Operations/Capital Budgets will be presented to Council for discussion and I strongly encourage City residents if they can to attend...

SBF