All of city council believes the 2012 draft municipal budget is something they can work with but a few are questioning just how lean it is after administration characterized it as “conservative.”
The budget calls for a 2.9 per cent increase in property taxes, as well as a 9.5 percent hike in utilities.
“I’m glad to see we seem to be past this six, seven-per-cent phase,” said Coun. Cam MacKay. “Three per cent is the absolute most. Keep it at three or under and, over time, it should increase our competitiveness because other municipalities will be par with us or exceed us.”
“It’s good and I think administration did a great job. As [acting city manager] Chris Jardine said, it’s lean,” said Coun. Cathy Heron. “I still think it can be leaner.”
Coun. Roger Lemieux said he is pleased with what administration brought to the table and hopes council can get the 2.9-per-cent proposed increase down to around two per cent. But he is also wondering if this could be a year where city council can give homeowners a break from tax increases.
“I’m kind of sitting on the fence, but if I had a choice I’d like to have one year without a tax increase,” Lemieux said. “I don’t think it’s barebones, but I’m not going to go overboard and demand a zero-per-cent increase. I don’t want to start trouble, but I’m going to propose it.”
“It will always be council’s mandate to see the increase be limited to as low as possible,” said Coun. Len Bracko, who had little to say about the budget. “But we have to be realistic too about increasing costs.”
The capital budget calls for three larger expenditures with construction of phase three of Ray Gibbon Drive, completion of phases three and four of Riel Park and construction of the south transit centre/park and ride. Almost every councillor sees the benefits of expanding Ray Gibbon Drive and working on the park and ride project.
“Ray Gibbon Drive, to me, is a critical infrastructure piece for the city,” said Coun. Malcolm Parker. “It will open up the annexed lands, it will take heavy traffic off of Hogan Road, which needs to be done.”
As for the park and ride, Parker wants to help relieve the pressure at Village Tree Station, the home of St. Albert’s park and ride, which often suffers from a lack of parking spots.
“I think there’s a need for [the south transit centre/park and ride] given the issues we have at LRT,” he added.
Councillors are already gearing up with motions that could impact the tax increase percentage. Coun. Wes Brodhead will try to move train whistle cessation back on to the 2012 budget.
“That will be my biggest ask,” Brodhead said. “I’m going to argue to have it moved to this year. I believe there’s people in our community suffering from fractured sleep.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse has already put forward a motion to halt free transit use on Saturdays. All motions by council will be dealt with at once towards the end of the budget process.
“It’s hard to know which way [the tax increase] goes,” said Crouse. “At 2.9 per cent, we shouldn’t be surprised given the city’s modest growth. Overall, I’m OK with the budget now.”
