Though the bulk of the city's 2016 budget deliberations wrapped up Wednesday night, there are still some decisions to be made.
City council approved next year's operating budget and five-year capital plan enshrining a three-per-cent increase to the tax levy, but further discussions about additions to the budget will start next week.
On a suggestion from Mayor Lyn Hall, the RCMP's request for a $481,369.50 increase to their 2016 budget for three more officers and a second municipal staff member for data processing was pushed to a separate finance and audit committee meeting.
The committee next meets on Dec. 14, but a decision isn't expected until the new year.
A report from staff said the actual extra cost for new RCMP officers in 2016 would be $160,456, as they wouldn't expect any to actually arrive until at least September.
This will be the second time RCMP head Supt. Warren Brown makes his pitch on the topic to the finance and audit committee, having done so for the first time on Nov. 2.
The city has until mid-May to finalize the year's budget, including setting the property tax rate.
Attempts by two councillors to free up money from the capital budget also went nowhere. Coun. Jillian Merrick wanted to remove a suite of projects from next year's list to funnel extra funds into the sidewalk budget. Her initiative didn't have legs as other members of council were unwilling to begin cherry picking items that may have been on the capital plan for years.
They did ultimately agree to moving two items - a $440,000 project for a new picnic shelter at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park and a $390,000 investment to replace video cameras and the score clock display at CN Centre - to a later meeting to get more information from staff.
Coun. Albert Koehler's bid to find about $850,000 to lower the overall tax levy also died on the floor.
Council was also unwilling to make what would have amounted to a symbolic gesture to commit more funds to the Bob Harkins branch of Prince George Public Library in two years. A $3.74 million project starting in 2017 is currently on the unfunded capital plan, which frustrated library board member Coun. Terri McConnachie.
"The unfunded list is never going to get any shorter," said McConnachie who listed a litany of studies and examinations of the entrance renovation since 1994.
Even if council committed on Wednesday to putting the project on the 2017 funded plan, it still would need to have a conversation about it at next year's budget meetings and priorities might have changed, noted Hall. McConnachie's suggestion was defeated 5-4, with only councillors Susan Scott, Brian Skakun and Garth Frizzell supporting her.
The one change -which won't really affect the budget - council was keen on was forward momentum on an idea brought forward from Talktober conversation with residents to introduce Toonie Swims at city pools during School District 57 Pro-D Days.
The fees and charges bylaw currently specifies that Two Dollar admission swims aren't valid during special events, statutory holidays, school vacations or professional development days.
On request of council last week, staff pulled data demonstrating there were 4,232 public admissions on the seven Pro-D Days in 2015, generating $16,187 in revenue. If those days were eligible for Toonie Swim admission, the city would have made $8,464.
Admission rates to pools are going up five per cent next year, a consequence of the 2013 decisions made as part of the core services review.
If 2016 attendance on Pro-D days was the same, the city would make $16,996.
Cheaper admission would likely increase the number of people coming to the pools, said the staff report, but in order to make up that difference with the $2 price, the number of swimmers on Pro-D days would have to double to 8,498.
"Such a dramatic increase is unlikely in the first year of increased Toonie Swim opportunities," said the report.
Council directed staff to bring back changes to the bylaw for its consideration prior to the next Pro-D Day on Jan. 29.
