Funding for snow removal was a hot topic at city council on Wednesday.
Approximately $1.5 million from the 2010 snow levy was moved into the snow reserve fund -- restoring the reserve which has been empty since the end of 2008. The city only used $3.5 million of the $5 million it collected for snow control last year.
Coun. Murry Krause said restoring the snow reserve makes good fiscal sense.
"We spent $1.7 million [on snow control] just in January alone," Krause said. "You can see how quickly that reserve can be used up in a heavy snow year."
In addition, the city boosted the base snow control budget by $41,000 to $5.04 million for 2011. That amount is intended to cover wage and cost increases, Krause said.
"I think that $41,000 is icing that doesn't have to be put on that snow account. That $41,000 sticks in my craw and I won't support it," coun. Dave Wilbur said. "It seems to me hard to explain why we'd top up 0.4 per cent above the $5 million when we're putting $1.5 million in reserve."
Wilbur moved to maintain the snow removal budget at $5 million for 2011, but the motion failed for lack of support.
Coun. Brian Skakun said he received over 200 phone calls from residents about snow control.
"For the most part, people were very understanding," Skakun said. "[But] I'd like to know the guidelines around downtown street removal when we have consecutive snowfalls. I know some of the streets weren't done for six, seven, eight days."
City superintendent of operations Bill Gaal said the city's snow clearing policy prioritizes the order streets are cleared in. If a second snowfall occurs, the priority order resets.
"When we get a light snow of three inches, that can be done fairly quickly," Gaal said. "When we get eight inches at a time, it takes a grader going over a street three, four times and that slows down the whole process."
At the end of Wednesday's budget meeting, the city was on track for a 2.4 per cent tax increase -- about $37 per year for an average $200,000 home. In 2010, the average property tax bill on a $200,000 home was $2,444 --including $1,544 in city taxes.
On Monday, council will discuss creating a $1.3 million reserve fund for capital projects leading up to the 2015 Canada Winter Games. If approved, it will boost the tax increase to 4.2 per cent.
The 2011 to 2015 capital budget will also be up for debate.
