North Battleford city council attended its second budget deliberation meeting Tuesday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Budget 2023 deliberations

City budget draft now down to 5.96 per cent tax increase

Nov 30, 2022 | 4:51 AM

The City of North Battleford administration’s latest proposed budget draft has now been whittled down a little to reflect a general rate tax increase of 5.96 percent.

Administration provided an update at the start of the city’s second budget deliberation meeting on Nov. 29.

Initially, city administration proposed a 6.57 percent increase, but they managed to bring it down slightly since the prior meeting.

The other proposed increases remain the same. The draft recommends a one percent increase for a capital fund.

A five percent increase is recommended for the Underground Pipeline and Asphalt Replacement (UPAR) program. For Utilities, the proposal recommends water services see a 4.3 percent increase and sewer services a 5.5 percent increase. There is no increase proposed for Recreation and Cultural Capital Facilities (RCCF).

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Administration was able to reduce the ask from the Nov. 22 meeting due to an increase in the city’s investment revenue. There is a small increase in costs for the city’s airport contract, for a total 0.61 percent reduction from 6.57 percent, to reach the proposed 5.96 percent tax increase recommended.

Finance Director Brent Nadon explained how the City managed to find some savings from an increased revenue stream from investments.

“It was just that we weren’t recognizing enough revenue,” he said. “Because of the high interest rates, we’re getting more interest on the money we have in the bank in our investments.”

Nadon said administration will next have another look at the proposed tax increase, based on a few other reductions from the Nov. 29 budget deliberation meeting discussions.

“There were a number of suggestions tonight that we are going to have to go back and bring to the next meeting to see where the rate is going to end up,” he said. “At the next meeting on Thursday [Dec. 1] we will update with anything that was agreed. If not, it will have to wait until the meeting after that to be sure. They [council members] suggest things, but they have to vote and decide on the changes before we can commit.”

City Manager Randy Patrick reminds the public that the budget draft is still only administration’s suggestion for council at this point.

“Council still has to make its decision,” he said. “I believe that will probably happen at Dec. 12, when we are planning to have the meeting. So, at the next meeting [Dec. 1], we finish off the presentations to council, and they’ll start their deliberations. Then, it finishes on the [Dec.] 12th.”

Mayor David Gillan appreciates seeing the budget deliberation work moving along.

“It was a productive night,” he said. “This is part of the process I spoke about last time, which is trying to understand what’s in the document, ask questions, make some mental notes, and at the end of this process we’ll make a final decision on how we see the budget.”

Fire and Protective Services, as well as Parks and Recreation Departments, made presentations on Nov. 29. Next, Planning and Development, UPAR departments, and third-party grant recommendations will be discussed on Dec. 1.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow