With the 2014 budget deliberations mostly wrapped for the year, the 2.5 per cent tax levy increase for Prince George taxpayers could have been even tighter, according to the mayor.
"I think it could have been lower and certainly I voted for it to be lower when we talked about the target that we would set for staff to work with for the budget," said Shari Green.
The guideline came from a proposal by Coun. Albert Koehler, who initially wanted the limit to be tied to the rate of inflation, but council agreed by a vote of 6-3 in July to set the cap at 2.5 per cent.
Green, along with Koehler and Coun. Cameron Stolz, wanted to drop the ceiling to 1.5 per cent.
As approved, next year's budget features a general operating increase of 0.72 per cent, which Green said is the lowest number she's seen "in a very long time."
The remainder of the increase comes from an $800,000 boost to the snow clearing levy (0.91 per cent) as well as a contribution to the general infrastructure reinvestment fund, which will come in at $733,100 (0.88 per cent) after adjustments made during Wednesday night's budget meeting.
One of the city's major areas of expense comes from the public safety and civic facilities department, which covers bylaw enforcement, parking and fire and police protection.
The addition of a business licence fee for residential rentals with less than three units correspond with an increase to the bylaw department's expense. Public safety and civic facilities director Rob Whitwham said those costs include covering 1.6 full-time equivalents and an associated vehicle. The department is also projecting an increase in revenue through the overall increases to the business licence program.
Also approved for Whitwham's department was the $450,000 worth of capital funding from the off-street parking reserve and debt reduction reserve for a licence-plate recognition system to enforce on-street parking restrictions downtown, at the hospital and College of New Caledonia.
Whitwham said the city will be looking to purchase two mounted licence-plate recognition units that would go on two vehicles along with handheld units for staff. He added that a "significant amount" of that funding would be to redo the signage downtown to reflect the use of the equipment.
A bid to acquire the system should be out soon, said Whitwham.
When asked by Koehler about the discrepancy between the city's figure and the estimate put out by the Downtown Business Improvement Association of no more than $90,000, Whitwham said there are different systems around and the DBIA proposal may not have included a vehicle or signage.
After getting their budget trimmed in 2013, the Prince George RCMP's allocation will continue to be based on 121 members. Though the city's contract with the federal government allows for 128 members, the local detachment didn't breach 115 officers this year.
"We anticipate the 2013 budget will come in under," said Whitwham, noting the number of RCMP members fluctuates due to transfers, sick and parental leave.
The 2014 police protection budget is for $21 million. According to the numbers in the budget book presented to council, the only half of 2013's $20 million budget has been spent. But Whitwham said that's partly due to the how much earlier the financial department was pulling the actual expense numbers this year for budget preparation.
"The way the RCMP send the billing out for the last quarter of the year, we don't actually see the billing for it until into the new year," said Whitwham. "So we actually carried money forward from 2013 to pay the rest of that 2013 bill."
