City council at Monday's meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Budget 2023

City getting ready for deliberations on proposed 2023 budget

Oct 24, 2022 | 10:54 PM

North Battleford city council will soon be taking part in public deliberation meetings for the proposed operations and capital budgets for 2023.

At council’s meeting Monday, Director of Finance Brent Nadon said city administration will release its proposed budget draft to the public on Monday, Nov. 21. The document will be available on the city’s website.

Administration will then present the budget draft on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the first deliberation meeting. This meeting will include an overview of the budget, as well as a look at general government, operations/infrastructure, waste management, and water and sewer departments.

The next deliberation meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 29 will focus on fire and protective services, and parks and recreation departments.

Then, on Thursday, Dec. 1, deliberations will look at planning and development, the Underground Pipeline and Asphalt Replacement (UPAR) program departments, as well as Third Party Grant recommendations.

SJHL VS. MJHL

Western All-Star Showcase gets underway tonight

16h ago

Kevin R Profile

Kevin Russell seeks third term as Battleford councillor

17h ago

Typhoid

Pizza in Martensville contaminated with Typhoid

18h ago

Then, potentially council will vote on the final draft for the 2023 capital and operating budgets, and consider approving them at council’s meeting on Monday, Dec. 12.

The budget deliberation meetings will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the scheduled dates, with the exception of the Dec. 12 meeting.

Mayor David Gillan is encouraging the public to take in the deliberation meetings.

“The more people that get involved with our budgeting, it’s very important,” he said. “We try to be transparent. We try to be open about what we’re planning. I hope the public will come out on those evenings and hear about what we are trying to achieve. And, then, from there of course, provide feedback to councillors and myself, not in the meeting itself but after the meeting if they see something that concerns them.”

The meetings are all open to the public, in person at council chambers at the Don Ross Centre, or online via Zoom.

Gillan reminded residents that the first document of the proposed 2023 budget will just be at the draft stage when it first comes out Nov. 21.

“At the end of the day, that is just administration’s perspective on the budget,” he said. “We’ll go over [it], department by department. We will review some of the items they want to include this year that weren’t there last year. And we’ll see the implications of all that with regards to taxation or utility fees, because they are separate. Then, we’ll deliberate as a council, taking in whatever feedback we get hopefully from the public.”

Gillan said, with the added option to view the proceedings via Zoom, now more people will have an opportunity to take in the deliberation discussions.

He added if anyone sees anything in the proposed budget they have any questions or concerns about, they should contact one of the city councillors.

“That’s what transparency and accountability is all about,” Gillan said.

–

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow