Delegations have their say at first N.Battleford public budget meeting

“We’re also relieving you of any of the costs that you currently play for, not to mention inflation, so we don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask.”

According to Humane Society President David Gubbe, it would in essence, be a split contract.

“We’re asking for an extension of the existing arrangement until we vacate our current location,” he said.

“Once into the new facility is where the increase that we’ve asked would come into play,” added Gubbe, noting it will be then that the city will no longer be responsible for utilities, maintenance and other costs.

Ultimately, the additional $20,000 would be spent on things the city currently covers.

Following the first presentation of the evening, Mayor Kelli Hawtin asked for a submission of an accompanying 2026 budget for the shelter.

“I know with the Humane Society, the purpose of moving and building was not only to have a better building fit for animals and staff, but also to have the revenue generating operation of the kennel to help support operations and reduce the need for funds for the Humane Society portion of things,” she said.

“It seems counter intuitive that we’re getting into a situation of escalating costs. Is there not escalating revenue to help offset those costs…why does the city have to bear all those costs?”

As a registered non-profit organization, Gubbe said they don’t receive support from any branches of government. He explained the income for operations comes from three sources: the service arrangement with the city, adoptions, spay/neuter programs, and fundraising and donations.

“When we…were working to put together an arrangement, we realized that we needed to have a more reliable source of income,” he said, adding fundraising alone wasn’t going to work.

“There’s a limit as to how much you can generate from fundraising and donations. So, that was where the need for the kennel facility came in. It was an area that was underserviced in the community and it’s a natural operation to have in conjunction with a shelter.”

Another delegation included North Battleford Public Library Board, who are seeking a city grant of $247,560 – part of which is for the ever-changing atmosphere and security.

According to Donna DesRoches, treasurer of the North Battleford Public Library Board, the North Battleford branch is bustling with activity and includes various programs, expanding services and a growing collection that goes far beyond books.

Though the delegation spoke to their healthy fiscal situation, they also spoke to the growing concerns all libraries are experiencing.

“They’re no longer the safe, quiet places that they used to be,” she said, referring to increasing escalating abusive behaviour in libraries across the country.

“Our staff are often on the front line of these crisis’s.”

Referencing a recent survey of 527 library workers, 97 per cent said that they experienced some form of violence or incivility on the job.

“Things like racial slurs, profanity, threats, physical violence, physical assaults,” DesRoches added.

To help mitigate that, the library’s 2025 budget includes an increase request of $94,000 – up from last year’s request $47,000 – for security expenditures.

“It just bears stating that we won’t be able to keep programming and access to resources that have made our patrons so happy if we can’t keep the library a safe place.”

According to Jake Marion, director of Lakeland Library Region, a few years ago, they identified the need for security cameras, which Lakeland paid for.

“It wasn’t an issue fiscally, but ordinarily the municipality would be responsible for the cost of this sort of equipment, but we were able to do things sorts of things in a very cost-effective way.”

By 2023, they needed to add security personnel and once again were able to pay themselves, this time for full-time guard.

“We identified that this was a very valuable and beneficial thing to have in place,” he said, adding the following year, the cost was split between the region and the city.

“I would indicate though that this is very cost effective in the sense that I personally negotiated the cost of the security with the security company in 2023,” he said, adding the cost has not increased.

“In 2023, there were 44 incident reports filed by staff at the public library and in 2024, there were 36 and each incident often times involves more than one member of the public engaging in more than one infraction of our code of conduct.”

Meanwhile, other delegations included the Dekker Centre for Performing Arts, Twin Rivers Curling Club and the Business Improvement District.

Following the community group section, areas such as the general budget overview and costs of policing were discussed. While speaking to reporters following the meeting, City Manager Randy Patrick said they believe it’s a fair budget and spoke to the proposed property tax increase of 4.53 per cent.

“There’s inflationary increases, there’s costs of maintaining some things that are fairly old,” he said.

Patrick used UPAR and buildings as examples that are driving the costs.

“We’re like everyone else, we’ve seen the changes in trying to provide that service level, but we’re trying not to change the service levels, we’re just trying to maintain them and that’s kind of what we believe is the cost.”

As for operations, it’s set at 2.07 per cent, capital is set at .88 per cent and the rest – 1.58 per cent – is for policing.

“We think that’s pretty reasonable, given the cost increases we’ve seen.”

According to Margarita Pena, director of finance, another pressure is the cost of maintaining recreation facilities.

“It’s not only that we’re maintaining the facilities for the city…we’re not getting the financial support from the regional partners,” she said.

Patrick added that aside from the agreement from the Town of Battleford, which provides some support, the city is contributing the lion’s share, that works out to millions of dollars for the region.

“Everyone’s doing their own thing and doing what they believe is right for them, but we’re saying that the taxpayers here are paying a fair amount for these services,” he said, noting if the opportunity for others to join presented itself, he’d love to set up an agreement.

“They’re not inexpensive.”

– With files from Kenneth Cheung

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julia.lovettsquires@pattiosonmedia.com

On BlueSky: juleslovett.bsky.social

by Julia Lovett-Squires

Delegations have their say at first N.Battleford public budget meeting

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