Taxes will be increased for the five year 2016-2020 budget.
This was the last topic of discussion during the most recent budget planning meeting on Feb. 11.
City manager, Roy Hardy says that looking at the capital and operational budgets and city reserves, he suggests a five percent tax increase over the next five years.
Hardy did project a Saskatchewan wide increase in the consumer price index by 2.1 per cent.
Now the question has become, does the city’s operations budget stay with that percentage or do they choose a lower number, says Mayor Malcolm Eaton.
To increase the financial stability and sustainability of the city, Hardy says the city should keep their operations budget in line with the index increases.
With many much needed long term capital projects coming up in the very near future, Hardy says the city should consider having reserves for the future.
“It would be a good start to try and achieve a contribution of $500,000 going into reserves over the next couple of years.”
It is up to each individual council to decide where they would get that money from but Hardy is giving this current council that monetary target to go towards both infrastructure projects and other long term projects that the city wants to address.
When it comes to capital projects, $2.8 million was spent in 2015 on larger capital projects. For the 2016 budget, Hardy says that there will be a similar number going towards the capital project, except the stormwater projects that will be funded partially through the Build Canada Grant the city has already been approved for.
Eaton suspects more money will be put into the stormwater system this year.
As per the previous council budget meeting on Jan. 28, the city had four long term projects on the table for discussion.
Where to take those projects was also on the agenda for the meeting.
When it came to the change in Humboldt’s waste pick up system, the city has numerous organizations circling information about the new program and the city is now waiting for more public feedback on the level of service the public wants.
Residents have been contacting the city for more information on this project, but the discussion will be taken to the public level at the open house that will take place sometime in March, along with the three other long term projects, like the multiuse facility and the Centennial Park projects.
Council is discussing what level of commitment they should have for these projects while there is only a year left of this councils’ term.
This is the biggest issue for discussion right now, says Hardy, is what this particular term of council will decide.
Eaton says the level of contribution in terms of dollars will be discussed when the budget gets drafted later in the spring, which will be a sign of which projects will be started by this council.
These increases will be discussed with the next city council since they will be responsible for the next four years of the five year budget plan, says Hardy.
