Financial challenges spell status-quo for more of city’s 2019 budget
Significant financial challenges and attempts to balance shortfalls with reserve transfers has led to nearly status-quo requests for much of North Battleford’s 2019 budget.
Monday, local lawmakers mulled the general governance, fire and protection services, underground pipe and asphalt replacement (UPAR), and water and sewer segments of the city’s budget.
Finance Director Steve Brown told councillors only “absolute needs” are being asked for funding next year and that administration will undertake endeavours to find cost-saving measures across the board.
In general governance and policing, a few building upgrades and pieces of software that will “eliminate a whole pile of manual steps” are looking for funding. This includes new human resources software, which should lead to efficiencies and replace an “archaic” filing system.