City administration claims savings goal nearly reached

of 2018. Among those savings are those stemming from the impact of the requirement to disseminate public notices in newspapers.

"We had little room for maneuver, because with Bill 15, many employees hesitated to retire,” Vermette says. “We are in the process of negotiating to try to resolve the pension plan issue it is believed that many will make a decision in 2018,"

The need to reduce operating expenses appeared in 2014 when Hydroquébec's rate changes were announced, which had an impact of $6.5 million, and the fiscal pact that cost the city nearly $4 million. The QST return was also lowered by $3.6 million. Faced with this reality, City Council came to the conclusion that the revenue wouldn’t be there and that budget cuts were required. Service managers were advised that reduction targets had to be attained, either by attrition or by reviewing operational methods.

Since the beginning of the fiscal year, 91 jobs have been abolished, but 79 new positions were created during the optimization period, of which 36 came at no additional cost

"The City has 3,300 more households than three years ago,” adds Sherbrooke Mayor Bernard Sévigny. “They have to be provided with services. This is pressure that already exists naturally on the municipal apparatus. Despite this, there is a culture that has developed, a culture of questioning, of lean management. Yes, there have been cuts, but I think the quality of services has been maintained at very high standards. There are extremely interesting signals for taxpayers in there,"

Savings associated with the reduction in the number of elected officials, about $600,000, will only come in 2018 and are therefore not included in the amount advanced to date.