City budget talks getting underway

St. Catharines is still aiming to have its operating budget approved by the end of the year despite a new flock of councillors wading into the numbers.

The city’s budget standing committee moved up budget talks last year from March to December so city departments would know exactly how much money they could spend on Jan. 1.

“My biggest priority this time around is to make sure our new councillors feel comfortable with the process and feel comfortable with the numbers and the issues we’re dealing with, because it’s a quick turnaround for them and a very steep learning curve,” said budget standing committee chair Mat Siscoe, a re-elected St. Patrick’s ward councillor.

Siscoe said new city councillors will be invited to all of the budget standing committee meetings over the next month and will be listening in on the upcoming telephone town hall with residents next Tuesday as part of their council orientation.

The idea is to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. Councillors, including five new faces, will be inaugurated on Dec. 3 and budget night will be two weeks later.

“It’s a bit of a baptism by fire but it gets them engrossed in the work right away and it gives them an insight a lot of us probably wish we had our first year into how the budget gets made,” Siscoe said.

“We’re going to give them the opportunity to ask lots of questions and make sure they feel comfortable debating it come mid-December.”

Residents are being asked to participate in the budget process, too, by taking part in the Nov. 6 telephone town hall, which is like a radio call-in show from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The city will randomly call 30,000 households for their feedback but those interested can ensure they get a call by registering online or by calling the city by Monday at noon.

One of the challenges for the 2019 operating budget is the pressure to maintain a rate of inflation increase.

Siscoe said council previously requested a reserve fund be set up for the Port Dalhousie Piers and that’s a big budget item of an extra $100,000.

The reserve fund was deemed necessary because the city will take ownership of the piers after the federal government fixes them, leaving St. Catharines on the hook for any future repairs.

Siscoe said from his perspective, the city also has to consider expanding the planning department to try to get the permitting process moving faster.

“We’ve seen a pretty big increase in building activity over the last couple of years and we need to make sure that planning and building services has the staff they need to accommodate that increase in activity,” he said.

“We’re looking at permit times and the times for review of planning documents and it’s taking longer and longer because we’re stretching that department pretty thin.”

City council passed an operating budget in 2018 with a 1.67 per cent tax increase. Expenditures were up to 2.54 per cent but there was improved revenue as well.

This year, the budget standing committee set a goal for city staff to come back with an expenditure increase of 2.1 per cent, based on the rate of inflation.

Staff were also asked to report on additional items they believe may require more funding, up to a 3.1 per cent maximum increase.

A draft budget from staff, which has not been reviewed by the budget standing committee, was posted on the city’s website on Oct. 23 and includes the guidance increase of 2.1 per cent plus an additional one per cent for items previously not accommodated within approved budgets. An additional 0.88 per cent adjustment of items that staff are recommending be approved brings the increase to 3.98 per cent.