Hiking fees and cutting services on agenda?

Mayor says it’s getting more difficult to trim, so user fees may increase

It was a mayoral campaign promise. Every year, administration will dig deep, scrape through its budgets and find two per cent in savings to give back to the taxpayer or reallocated to priorities.

But this year, that two-per-cent initiative includes $415,000 in new user fees and $3.3 million in volunteer hours — a dollar value attached for the first time to the work of existing volunteers at places such as the John Janzen Nature Centre.

It isn’t new volunteer hours, just a new effort to account for them.

“We tried to just quantify them, the value,” acting city manager Linda Cochrane said. “We’ve never documented that … and in some of those facilities, they do a lot.”

As city council gears up to begin debating the budget Friday, savings are top of mind for most.

Councillors have already voted to draw up terms of reference for a full service level review with an eye to changes for 2017 and 2018.

But is the city a gravy train sloshing with extra cash or a lean operation where the next savings proposed will be new user fees or cuts to popular services?

Calling volunteer hours a savings caught Coun. Michael Oshry off guard.

“That seems odd. Efficiencies of the corporation are not at all tied to how many people you get to volunteer. I’d count that as a good on you to the citizens of Edmonton.”

In his questions to administration, Oshry asked every department to outline what it would do if told to cut five per cent.

Community services said that would mean laying off up to 130 full-time staff. Officials would look at closing attractions during off-peak hours and closing low use facilities, reducing the months staff maintain park land during the summer and trimming grants to community organizations.

Corporate services would have to eliminate at least 40 positions, cut back on computer maintenance or after-hours support and defer talent and succession planning. Police would cut back on school resource officers, beat patrols, aboriginal relations and crime prevention.

It’s harder to find efficiencies in the budget each year and as it gets more difficult, people may see more users fees proposed, Mayor Don Iveson said.

“We ask administration to find efficiencies every year and they’ve changed their practice to the tune of $180 million in the time that I’ve been here.”

Administration found $29 million this year. The culture at city hall is changing.

“People actually looking at different ways to do things that either avoid cost or create savings that can be redeployed in the corporation or as tax savings,” the mayor said. “The culture change is as important as the percentage reduction. I’d say the culture change is proceeding.”

Chief financial officer Todd Burge said in “the savings identified this year, the volunteer item is the only one that isn’t a year over year change.

“But I think it’s important to identify that volunteers make a huge difference to our city. It’s part of the positive change.”

Oshry said he’s not arguing for a five-per-cent cut, but administration needs to be shaken from complacency. “I don’t think the city is very creative,” he said, relaying an anecdote from his first visit to the city yard in his ward. In 2013, crews were still handling snow complaints in hard copy, driving instructions to crews on the street.

“There’s always efficiencies. You can’t come back to me and tell me there’s no efficiencies to be had.”