2000-11-20_Minutes_(2)
88-241
COMMON COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 20, 2000
At a meeting of the Common Council, held at the City Hall in the City of
Saint John, on Monday, the twentieth day of November, A.D., 2000, at 1 :00 o'clock p.m.
present
Shirley McAlary, Mayor
Deputy Mayor Chase and Councillors Ball, Chase, Court,
Desmond, Fitzpatrick, Titus, Trites, Vincent and White
- and -
Messrs. 1. Totten, City Manager; J. Nugent, City Solicitor; A.
Beckett, Commissioner of Finance and Commissioner of
Corporate Services; P. Woods, Deputy City Manager; J. C.
MacKinnon, Commissioner of Environment and Development
Services; P. Groody, Commissioner of Municipal Operations; W.
Butler, Commissioner of Community Services; S. Galbraith,
Director of Works; J. Baird, Manager of Community Planning; W.
Edwards, Building Inspector; S. Lodhi, Manager of Real Estate
and Facility Management; J. Mcintyre, Manager of Human
Resources; B. Belyea, Budget Officer; J. McDevitt, Budget
Control Officer, Municipal Operations, B. Malone, Planner; G.
Tait, Fire Chief; R. Simonds, Deputy Fire Chief; M. Gillen,
Administrative Officer, Fire; Mrs. M. Munford, Common Clerk;
and Ms. C. Mosher, Assistant Common Clerk.
MeetinQ Called To Order - Prayer
Mayor McAlary called the meeting to order, noting that the purpose of this
special meeting was to consider the proposed 2001 Operating and Capital Budgets for
the General Fund.
2001 OperatinQ & Capital BudQets - General Fund
Consideration was given to a report from the City Manager submitting the
proposed 2001 Operating and Capital Budgets for the General Fund, including as
Schedules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively, the General Fund 2001 Operating Budget
Summary, the General Fund Budgeted Operating Expenditures, the General Fund 2001
Budgeted Non Tax Revenue, the Subsidies and Grants 2001 Budget, the 2001 Capital
Budget and the Municipal Operations & Engineering Summary of Proposed 2001 Capital
Projects; and advising that the Budgets were prepared in the context of a local economy
that is doing well, a community that is relatively satisfied with the service levels being
provided, an administrative focus on the Municipality's core business, and a recognition
that transfer payments from the Provincial Government are, and will continue, to
diminish in the years to come. The report highlights the proposed 2001 Operating
Budget which forecasts total revenues at $90,069,243, a 1.18% increase from the
previous year, based on maintaining the tax rate of $1.725, a warrant of $63,830,399, an
increase of 3.92% over 2000, an unconditional grant (transfer payment) of $19,120,190,
a decrease of 10% from 2000, and non-tax revenue of $7,118,654, an increase of
12.16% from 2000; and, in terms of non-tax revenue, advises of additional revenue
anticipated from building permits based on anticipated increases in construction activity
in the next fiscal year, a new source of revenue from the Municipality's negotiations with
the providers of natural gas to the community, the surplus reported from 1999
operations, a recommendation for an increase in the amount the Municipality would
accept as a voluntary payment for meter violations and summons from $7 to $10 and
from $10 to $15, respectively, effective July 1, 2001, and an increase in revenue from
the sale of ice time at the City's five arenas to be implemented September 1, 2001. As
for the forecast in the proposed 2001 Operating Budget of $90,069,243 for expenditures,
the report comments in terms of the level of expenditures being essentially the same as
that expended on providing roughly the same level of services ten years ago while
funding (1) fair and equitable wage settlements to all employee groups, anticipated to be
in the order of $1,000,000, (2) an additional cost estimated in the vicinity of $350,000 for
gasoline and diesel fuel, and (3) an additional cost for garbage disposal of approximately
$175,000 to equip municipal packer trucks with new devices and for collection fees on
statutory holidays and an increased tipping fee for non-compostables; advises that the
City departmental submissions included in the proposed 2001 Operating Budget are
consistent with the directions given by the City Manager, and draws to Council's
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COMMON COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 20, 2000
attention adjustments to particular programs that would be of interest to citizens with
respect to the Fire Department, Community Services and Municipal Operations; and,
with respect to funding requests beyond departmental submissions, comments on
funding proposed in the 2001 budget for the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners,
the Regional Facilities Commission, Enterprise Saint John, the Saint John Development
Corporation, the Cherry Brook Zoo, the Human Development Council, the YM-YWCA,
Festival by the Sea, Festival de la Baie Francaise, and the East Coast Music Awards, as
well as on a recommendation for the City and the Saint John Power Commission to work
cooperatively together to develop a plan which would see the costs of energy, including
street lighting, net of any revenues received from the use of municipal lands, be reduced
by $250,000 per year on an annual basis. In its concluding comments on the proposed
2001 Operating Budget, the report suggests that Council should view it as a complete
package that (1) sets the tax rate at $1.725 per $100 of assessment, (2) maintains
essential services at existing levels by forcing efficiencies within existing departmental
spending envelopes, (3) encourages Council and the neighbourhood communities to be
diligent in their review of budget requests from regional facilities, (4) requires an
enhanced level of communication between Council and the Saint John Board of Police
Commissioners, as well as with the Power Commission of the City of Saint John, in
order to control current and future cost increases, and (5) lays a foundation for revenue
increases and expenditure reductions in 2002, a year in which further reduction in
municipal transfer payments are anticipated. With respect to the proposed 2001 Capital
Budget for the General Fund in the amount of $7,900,000, less by $1,090,000 from that
recommended for the previous year, the report notes the move toward reducing future
borrowings in order to reduce upward pressure on the tax rate in years to come; explains
the reason for the recommended withdrawal of funding for the Business Park and
Housing Incentive Programs, as well as a recommendation to earmark $600,000 in each
of the next two years for the creation of needed serviced lots within the City's three
industrial parks; and comments on Transportation projects, including the rebuilding of
Water Street, work at the intersection of Crown and Union Streets, extended down
Crown Street to Chown Field, and King Street, as well as on proposed funding for
municipal buildings, community facilities, and the Saint John Transit Commission.
On motion of Deputy Mayor Chase
Seconded by Councillor Court
RESOLVED that the 2001 Municipal Tax
Rate be set at $1.725 per $100 of assessment:
AND FURTHER that the amount of $90,069,243 be adopted as the
estimate required for the operation of the City of Saint John for 2001 as follows:
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
General Government Services
Protective Services
Transportation Services
Environmental Health Services
Environmental Development Services
Recreation and Cultural Services
Fiscal Charges
$ 8,125,650
$34,548,796
$18,585,063
$ 2,874,388
$ 7,007,198
$ 6,312,973
$12,615,175
AND FURTHER that the amount of $7,118,654 be adopted as the
estimate for Non-Tax Revenue for the Year 2001:
AND FURTHER that the Provincial Unconditional Grant of $19,120,190
be incorporated in the 2001 Budget:
AND FURTHER that the estimate required to be raised by levy on real
property assessment liable to taxation under the Assessment Act within the City for the
Year 2001 be adopted in the amount of $63,830,399:
AND FURTHER that the Commissioner of Finance be given authority to
disburse funds, the time of which to be at his discretion, to the organizations mentioned
in the submitted Schedule 4:
AND FURTHER that the amount of $7,900,000 be adopted as the
estimate of the 2001 Capital Budget for 2001 as follows:
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COMMON COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 20, 2000
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
Economic Development Initiatives
Transportation Initiatives
Environment Landfill Closeout
Processes Supported by Technology
City Buildings and Facilities
Municipality-owned Facilities
Protective Services
$1,075,000
$4,300,000
$ 300,000
$ 400,000
$ 800,000
$ 575,000
$ 450,000
Discussion ensued during which time Council members spoke, in turn, in
the above regard and Councillor Titus, Chairman of the Power Commission of the City of
Saint John, commented on the recommendation in the above report to work with the
Commission in reducing the City's energy cost by $250,000, and addressed the
proposed 2001 Budgets on the basis that, while he agreed with the tax rate set in that
the City Manager had done what Council requested, he would have preferred to
decrease the tax rate by a few pennies and he was not necessarily pleased with how
and where the money was to be spent, noting the need to reduce fiscal charges and
reduce the capital budget in order to reduce upward pressure on the tax rate in years to
come and making suggestions on things that could be done to deal with this.
Question being taken, the motion was carried with Councillor Titus voting
"nay".
Adjournment
The Mayor declared the meeting adjourned.
Common Clerk