City council will rely on city administration’s advice during the 2024 budget deliberations to determine which projects are most important to fund considering the city faces difficult economic conditions, the mayor says.
City administration presented a report during the Sept. 13 executive committee meeting about how the 2024 budget looks. Officials noted that the operating budget faces a deficit of $119,000, while many of the utilities — such as water and wastewater — are facing major shortfalls that affect the funding of projects.
After the meeting, the media asked Mayor Clive Tolley whether council would consider cutting or pausing spending to address the deficit and shortfalls. He replied that council must use administration’s recommendations “to make some very tough decisions” during budget deliberations in December.
“Some projects will have to be put back for a few years. It’s up to our administration to tell us which are the most important things that have to be done,” Tolley said.
Council must also believe in its staff because they have the knowledge and can tell council what’s the most important project to complete, which means members will have to move those projects to the top and fund them first, he continued. If those projects are too expensive, though, council will have to fund them over several years.
Tolley acknowledged that it’s “a real struggle” in the current economy and many people are having difficulty making ends meet, including the City of Moose Jaw. He noted that council and administration would work together to ensure they received the “most bang for our buck” on projects.
When asked whether he was worried about a funding reduction in the cast iron replacement program, Tolley said he thought the program was going well and would continue on the schedule council created in 2016.
“So I don’t see it being impacted that significantly. But certainly, we’re not going to be able to take on as many projects as we thought,” he added.
Tipping fees
During the executive committee meeting, finance director Brian Acker indicated council should review landfill tipping fees during its budget deliberations because the city had not raised them in years and was falling behind other municipalities.
Tolley also commented on that topic during the scrum.
“… we know across the country — in fact, across the world — (that) if dumping fees are cheaper, people will truck garbage a long way to save some money,” he said.
“So, I think it’s essential we keep our fees competitive and, at the same time, not try to gouge anybody but be competitive with the other jurisdictions so we don’t get outside garbage coming to our landfill.”
Fundraiser concert
River Street Promotions held its third annual Homestand fundraising concert on Sept. 9 at Ross Wells Park, with the event featuring musicians Jordyn Pollard, Lindi Ortega, the Mike Plume Band, and Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans.
Tolley said he attended the event and saw a community “filled with vigour and happiness,” while he thought it was a fabulous show with roughly 2,000 people in attendance.
“Those are the things that really build a community. I really have an affinity for the River Street Promotions people and all the volunteers. They had so many volunteers there — it was awesome,” the mayor exclaimed.
He was unsure how this year’s crowd size compared to 2022 — it was a 150-per-cent increase, according to organizers — but thought it was heartening to see so many people having fun in downtown Moose Jaw. He also noted that Ross Wells Park now has another use and can be used for fundraising opportunities.
All money raised from Homestand ’23 will support youth-related mental health initiatives in southern Saskatchewan.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Sept. 25.
