Red Deer city councillors make budget amendment proposals

While the City’s Fire Chief Ken McMullen requested 20 FTEs in 2023 to be funded by ongoing tax-supported funds, the City initially proposed four FTEs through ongoing funds and four FTEs funded one time through the Operating Reserve Tax Supported (ORTS) for 2023. This would mean the RDES would have to make the request again for the four funded by the ORTS in 2024.

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Councillors Vesna Higham, Dianne Wyntjes and Cindy Jefferies proposed different alternatives; however all moving the funding source from the ORTS to ongoing to ensure stability.

SNOW REMOVAL

Four councillors proposed to improve the City’s snow removal budgets.

Councillor Victor Doerksen suggested funding the budget through utility charges with a roughly $4 monthly cost to residents. The removal of the snow clearing budget from the operating budget, he says, can help reduce the municipal tax increases.

READ: Red Deer councillor proposes utility bill charge for snow removal

Councillors Lawrence Lee and Dianne Wyntjes suggested implementing snow removal on the weekends while Councillor Kraymer Barnstable proposed doubling the budget to $10 million, funded through the road maintenance budget and carrying over unused funds.

STRATEGIC PLAN REDUCTION

Councillors Vesna Higham, Victor Doerksen and Cindy Jefferies all proposed to reduce the Strategic Plan which was allotted roughly $350,000 over council’s direction of $750,000 for projects such as annual benchmarking surveys, outcomes reporting dashboards and citizen and customer experience modernization initiatives, among others, to increase public engagement and feedback.

READ: BUDGET: Over $1 million proposed investment per year for Strategic Plan roll-out

OTHER

Councillors Dianne Wyntjes and Cindy Jefferies proposed to improve service levels to the public transit systems following resident concerns.

READ: Red Deer plans to increase resident dialogue to improve public transit

Councillor Vesna Higham and Mayor Ken Johnston suggested reducing the Operating Budget. Councillors Doerksen and Barnstable recommended reducing the municipal tax rates, now at 4.79 per cent and 4.38 per cent for 2023 and 2024, respectively. Councillor Barnstable’s alternatives were to increase user fees and sale of goods as well as increasing the percentage of electric power and water utilities.

COUNCILLOR SPECIFIC

Councillor Higham proposed adding 40 million over three consecutive years to the Capital Plan for an Aquatics Centre as well as increasing the Sports and Recreation budget by $150,000 over the next two years.

Councillor Doerksen proposed reducing the use of the ORTS as a funding source, accelerating the Centennial Park Plaza project and bringing back the “Capstone to Bower Ponds” bridge.

Councillor Wyntjes proposed updating the Community Grants policy to include new outcome themes for Indigenous Education and Partnerships and Community Safety as well as funding the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre $75,000 per year.

Councillor Jefferies proposed aligning the debt policy, currently at 75 per cent of the provincial debt limit, to the full provincial limit.

Councillor Barnstable proposed eliminating the funds for a hybrid workforce and decreasing the tree-replacement budget.

The Mayor proposed reviewing waste disposal to energy opportunities in a report.

Administration and council will discuss their proposed amendments on Thursday to begin budget finalizations.