2019-03-13 Finance Committee Agenda Packet - Open Session
MINUTES OPEN SESSION FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING
JANUARY 30, 2019 AT 5:30 PM
th
8 FLOOR COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBER (LUDLOW ROOM), CITY HALL
Present: Mayor D. Darling
Councillor D. Merrithew
Councillor G. Sullivan
Councillor S. Casey
Councillor D. Reardon
Councillor G. Norton
Also
Present: City Manager J. Collin
Deputy City Manager N. Jacobsen
City Solicitor J. Nugent
Commissioner of Finance and Treasurer K. Fudge
Commissioner Growth & Community Development J. Hamilton
Commissioner Saint John Water B. McGovern
Comptroller Finance C. Graham
Senior Manager Financial Planning H. Nguyen
Director Corporate Performance S. Rackley-Roach
Assistant Comptroller Finance and Administrative Services C. Lavigne
Deputy Commissioner Administrative Services I. Fogan
Commissioner Transportation & Environment M. Hugenholtz
Web Specialist T. McGraw
Senior Financial Analyst J. Forgie
Fire Chief K. Clifford
Corporate Performance N. Moar
Administrative Assistant K. Tibbits
1. Meeting Called To Order
Moved by Councillor Reardon, seconded by Councillor Sullivan:
RESOLVED that the Finance Committee meeting be called to order.
MOTION CARRIED.
Councillor Merrithew called the Finance Committee open session meeting to order.
1.1 Approval of Minutes December 6, 2018
Moved by Councillor Reardon, seconded by Councillor Sullivan:
RESOLVED that the minutes of December 6, 2018, be approved.
MOTION CARRIED.
Referring to the submitted report, Mr. Yammine provided an overview of the Corporate and
Community GHG and Energy action plan. The plan will identify current greenhouse emissions,
identify targets and identify a strategy or action plan to meet those targets, with a goal of
reducing energy costs and emissions. Mr. Yammine discussed the benefits to the City and the
community at large. Mr. Yammine stressed the importance of establishing a government
structure and having the support of Common Council in order to move the action plan forward.
The plan would concentrate on specific projects, with a one project/one strategy approach.
Moved by Mayor Darling, seconded by Councillor Sullivan:
RESOLVED that the Finance Committee recommend that Common Council approve the
Corporate and Community GHG and Energy Plan; and further that the City Manager explore
options for a governance structure to move the plan forward.
MOTION CARRIED.
1.3 Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Funding
Mr. Lavigne commented on funding opportunities under the umbrella of Disaster Mitigation
Adaptation funding. The City experienced historical flooding in 2018 which caused significant
damage to municipal infrastructure. The Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund has been
developed to support large-scale infrastructure projects that have a minimum cost requirement
of $20M, and provides 40% funding of cost-sharing with municipalities. It is a bundle of three
projects under one large project for flooding. There has been no commitment made by the
City, but staff did not want to lose the opportunity to submit an application. The projects
include:
Seawall refurbishment
Several Pumping Stations
Electrical substations with Saint John Energy
Mr. Fudge noted that these projects cab be funded over multiple years, adding that some
projects would have to be completed regardless -term capital
investment plan.
(Mayor Darling withdrew from the meeting)
Moved by Councillor Reardon, seconded by Councillor Norton:
received for information.
MOTION CARRIED.
1.4 Long-Term Financial Plan Targets and Principles
(Mayor Darling re-entered the meeting)
Referring to the submitted report, Mr. Fudge commented on the principles and targets that will
be embedded in the long-term financial plan. The overarching principle of the plan is
sustainability. If the plan and initiatives such as the Wage Escalation Policy are successful, the
structural imbalance in the budget can be addressed over the next 10 years.
Mr. Collin noted that a tax rate reduction is a priority of Council and there needs to be a focus
in terms of reducing the tax burden. He suggested that the wording in the Long-Term Financial
Plan be clear in that tax reduction is part of the overall plan as opposed to a blanket singular
statement regarding tax reductions. There may be value in reinforcingsuccess, ie: if the growth
Moved by Councillor Sullivan, seconded by Councillor Reardon:
RESOLVED that the Finance Committee direct staff to incorporate the Financial Principles and
Targets as presented in the Draft 10 Year Long-Term Financial Plan.
MOTION CARRIED.
Adjournment
Moved by Councillor Sullivan, seconded by Councillor Reardon:
RESOLVED that the open session meeting of the Finance Committee be adjourned.
MOTION CARRIED.
The Finance Committee open session meeting held on January 30, 2019 was adjourned at 7:15
p.m.
FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
# found on Sharepoint.
M&C No.
Report Date March 13, 2019
Meeting Date March 13, 2019
Service Area Finance and
Administrative Services
His Worship Mayor Don Darling and Members of Common Council
SUBJECT: Debt Management Policy FAS-006
OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION
This matter is to be discussed in open session of Finance Committee.
AUTHORIZATION
Primary Author Commissioner/Dept. Head City Manager
Kevin Fudge Kevin Fudge John Collin
RECOMMENDATION
.Ļ źƷ ƩĻƭƚƌǝĻķ ƷŷğƷʹ
1. Finance Committee recommends that Common Council approve the
Draft City of Saint John Debt Management Policy FAS-006;
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It is recommended that Common Council approve the Debt Management Policy
for the City of Saint John. The Policy applies to the General Fund. Debt
Management Policies are considered a best practice financial policy and
instrumental to creating a fiscally responsible City and a key instrument in the
development of a robust Long Term Financial Plan.
PREVIOUS RESOLUTION
N/A
REPORT
finance infrastructure needs is affected by its access to
funding, its debt capacity and debt service charges.
sustainability based on the level of debt it must service, the amount of principal
and interest payments on the debt in conjunction wit
affordability, both current and future. The City must manage debt in a way that
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aligns with ensuring the long-term financial flexibility and sustainability for the
City.
The main objective of the debt management policy is to ensure t
financing needs and its payment obligations are met at the lowest possible cost
over the long term while being affordable for taxpayers.
The Debt Management Policy establishes objectives, guidelines, targets and
appropriate controls for the use and issuance of debt for the City. The Policy is
to be used in an integrated manner with the other approved Financial Policies of
the City in order to integrate debt management with the long term financial
goals of the City.
The Debt Management Policy is considered best practice for providing guidelines
to Common Council and staff of the broader implications of issuing debt. The
objective of the Debt Management Policy is to:
1. Ensure the City obtains long term debt only when necessary, balancing
financing needs and taxpayer affordability;
2. Ensure the City manages its debt such that future financial flexibility is
maintained;
3. Ensure the City strategically obtains debt based on sound long term
financial planning and targets.
financial decisions. When
policies are effective they can enhance the financial health of governments. By
contrast, weak policies can create fiscal instability. The Debt Management Policy
includes fundamental conditions for the use of debt that wi
financial health:
1. The Debt Management Policy is established to ensure that all debt is
issued both prudently and cost effectively according to the Long Term
Financial Plan;
2. The City will issue long term debt solely for the purpose of financing the
projects approved in the Capital Budget and the Capital Investment Plan
(CIP);
3. Long term debt shall not be used to fund operating or maintenance costs
or be used as a tool to balance the operating budget;
4. The City shall promote a balanced approach between maintaining an
affordable debt level, maintaining infrastructure and accommodating
growth;
5. Debt will be structured to fairly distribute the costs over time, taking into
consideration inter-generational equity.
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DEBT LIMITS AND DEBT TARGETS FOR 2030
The Debt Management Policy not only includes Debt Limits prescribed by
Provincial Legislation, but it also incorporates additional debt limits and debt
targets to improve and Debt Management
Deficit. The City shall only take on additional debt when existing debt is within
the following parameters:
Local Governance Act Legislative Limits
A local government shall not, in any one year, borrow for its current
operations any money in excess of the sum represented by 4% of the budget
of that local government for that year or $15K, whichever is greater;
A local government shall not, in any one year, borrow for capital
expenditures any money in excess of the sum represented by 2% of the
assessed value of real property in that local government;
The total amount of money borrowed by a local government for capital
expenditures shall not exceed 6% of the assessed value of real property in
the local government.
City General Fund Debt Management Limits and Targets
General Fund Debt per Capita shall not exceed $1600;
The General Fund Debt Service Ratio shall not exceed 12%;
e Ratio shall be 9% by the year 2030;
Operating Budget is 50% by 2030;
Long Term Debt Term shall be in accordance with the Long Term Financial
Plan.
The Debt Management Policy supports
term debt to fund Capital Expenditures. The Policy will allow the City Treasurer
to utilize reserve funds as a source of funds for the internal financing of capital
projects (rather than new debt) as approved by Council in the Reserve Policy.
The Policy recognizes effective cash management can be a strong tool in
reducing long term debt.
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In addition, the Debt Management Policy prescribes that the City will seek to
gradually increase pay-as-you-go as an option for financing capital over time.
The best use of Pay as you Go financing is as follows:
To Fund Asset Renewal Projects;
To Fund Assets with a Useful Life of less than 10 Years;
Health;
Situations where market conditions favour the use of cash rather than debt
(for example, escalating interest rates)
CONCLUSION
th
The Debt Management Policy is the 6 Financial Policy recommended by the
Finance Committee. The Suite of Financial Policies will serve as pillars to
The strategic area of debt in the
Plan has an overarching goal of managing existing and future
debt levels to minimize the impact of debt servicing costs on taxpayers and to
create a balance between the use of debt and a pay-as-you-go approach. The
Policy incorporates debt limits to ensure that debt obligations will not threaten
the long-term financial stability of the City and place undue financial burden on
taxpayers.
SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES
This report and recommendation are in alignment with best practices and will
support future strong fiscal management.
Click here to enter text.
ATTACHMENTS: FAS 006 Debt Management Policy
Title: Debt Management
Subject: General Fund Debt Management Policy Category: Finance and Administrative Services
Policy No.: FAS-006 M&C Report No.:
Effective Date: Next Review Date:
Area(s) this policy applies to: Cross Corporate Office Responsible for review of this Policy:
Finance and Administrative Services
Related Instruments: Policy Sponsors:
FAS-001 Asset Management Policy Commissioner of Finance and Administrative Services
FAS-002 Investment Management Policy
FAS-003 Reserves Policy
FAS-004 Operating Budget Policy
FAS-005 Capital Budget Policy
Document Pages:
This document consists of 7 pages.
Revision History:
Common Clerk's Annotation for Official Record
Date of Passage of Current Framework:_________________________
I certify that this Policy was adopted by Common Council as indicated
above.
________________________ ______________________
Common Clerk Date
Date Created: Common Council Approval Date: Contact:
Finance and Administrative Services
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. POLICY STATEMENT ..................................................................................................... . 3
2. DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................... 3
3. ACCEPTABLE PURPOSES FOR DEBT ............................................................................... 4
4. DEBT LIMITS ................................................................................................................... 5
5. DEBT ISSUANCE .............................................................................................................. 6
6. INTERNAL BORROWING ................................................................................................. 6
7. PAY AS YOU GO .............................................................................................................. 6
8. REPORTING ..................................................................................................................... 7
9. RESPONSIBILITIES .......................................................................................................... 7
2
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
1. POLICY STATEMENT
1.1. The Debt Management Policy does not apply to Saint John Water;
1.2. The Debt Management Policy is established to ensure that all debt is issued
prudently and cost effectively in accordance with the Long Term Financial Plan;
1.3. The Debt Management policy objectives are as follows:
The City obtains debt financing only when necessary;
The City manages debt such that future financial flexibility is maintained;
The City strategically issues debt based on sound financial planning.
1.4. The Capital Investment Plan (CIP) is essential to intelligent planning of debt
issuance by prioritizing potential capital investment and potential sources of
financing.
1.5. All City debt issuance and management procedures will comply with the following
legislation where applicable:
Province of New Brunswick Local Governance Act
Province of New Brunswick Municipal Capital Borrowing Act
Province of New Brunswick Municipal Debentures Act
Province of New Brunswick Control of Municipalities Act
Province of New Brunswick Financial Corporation Act
2. DEFINITIONS
Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Long Term Debt means financing with a term over 10-30 years with municipal
bonds through the Municipal Finance Corporation or capital leasing as defined by
the Public Sector Accounting Standards.
Inter-Generational Equity means distributing the costs associated with capital
investments across the generations which will be enjoying the benefits of the
capital assets built today.
Debt Term the period of time during which debt payments are made. At the end
of the debt term, the loan is paid in full.
Internal Financing means financing for capital purchases from reserve funds as
permitted in FAS-003 Reserves Policy.
3
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
Pay-As-You Go Financing means the use of operating funds for capital purchases
as opposed to using debt or reserves.
3. ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS FOR USE OF DEBT
3.1. The City will issue long-term debt solely for the purpose of financing the projects
approved in the Capital Budget and the Capital Investment Plan (CIP);
3.2. Long term debt shall not be used to fund operating or maintenance costs or used
as a tool to balance the operating budget;
3.3. The Long Term Debt amortization period shall not exceed the life of the asset it is
financing;
3.4. The City shall promote a balanced approach between maintaining an affordable
debt level, maintaining infrastructure and accommodating growth by:
Utilizing this Policy in conjunction with the Asset Management Plan, FAS-
005 Capital Budget Policy, FAS-004 Operating Budget Policy and FAS-003
Reserves Policy.
Integrating debt issuance with the Capital Budgeting process to determine
the necessity, priority, and viability of the capital project.
Considering the Long Term Financial Plan, and analyzing the tolerance or
capacity to absorb and manage new debt given future priorities.
3.5. Debt will be structured to fairly distribute the costs over time, taking into
consideration inter-generational equity.
3.6. The City may also issue debt on behalf of an Agency, Board or Commissions (ABC)
under its control pursuant to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to further
the public purposes of the City. The City shall take appropriate steps to confirm
the financial feasibility of the project, the financial solvency of the ABC, and that
the issuance of such debt is consistent with the policies set forth herein;
3.7. This Policy does not apply for the use of Short Term debt instruments.
4
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
4. DEBT LIMITS AND DEBT CAPACITY
4.1. The New Brunswick Local Governance Act stipulates that:
A local government shall not, in any one year, borrow for its current operations any
money in excess of the sum represented by 4% of the budget of that local
government for that year or $15K, whichever is greater.
A local government shall not, in any one year, borrow for capital expenditures any
money in excess of the sum represented by 2% of the assessed value of real property
in that local government.
The total amount of money borrowed by a local government for capital expenditures
shall not exceed 6% of the assessed value of real property in the local government.
4.2. ability to service the
payments required on the debt. Three key performance indicators will be benchmarked
and measured and the following debt limits shall be applicable:
Debt per Capita: This measurement can provide elected officials with a trend of
overall debt outstanding by measuring how much debt the City has per citizen.
General Fund Debt per Capita shall not exceed $1600;
Debt Service Ratio: This measurement allows elected officials to be aware of the
ng budget which is devoted to servicing
debt. The General Fund Debt Service Ratio shall not exceed 12%;
Total Debt Outstanding as a Percentage of Operating Budget: This measurement
identifies the percentage of annual operating revenues that would be required to
extingdebt. The General Fund Total Debt Outstanding as
a Percentage of Operating Budget shall not exceed 70%;
4.3. Additional debt is only permissible when existing debt is within these limits, the limits will
be reviewed and updated on an annual basis;
4.4. ral Fund target Debt Per Capita is $1175 by 2030,
Ratio Target is 9% by
as a Percentage of Operating Budget is 50% by 2030.
4.5. Long Term Debt Term shall be in accordance with the Debt Management Plan.
5
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
5. DEBT ISSUANCE
5.1. A resolution of Council is required for all new debt issues.
5.2. The debt issuance process generally follows the steps below:
Notice of motion: Council gives notice of intent to borrow after 30 days
from the day of Council resolution;
After expiration of 30 days, Council authorizes staff to issue and sell to the
New Brunswick Municipal Finance Corporation debentures at such terms
and conditions recommended by the Corporation;
Application form filled out and submitted to the New Brunswick Municipal
Finance Corporation;
New Brunswick Municipal Finance Corporation advises the City of the actual
bond issue; and
Staff reports back to Council regarding terms of the issue, coupon rate,
price, average yield and settlement date.
5.3. Debt is structured to fairly distribute the costs over time, taking into consideration
intergenerational equity;
6. INTERNAL FINANCING
6.1. The City may use reserves as a source of funds for the internal financing of capital
projects as approved by Council. Any borrowing from reserve funds shall comply
with Policy FAS-003 Reserves Policy.
7. PAY-AS-YOU-GO FINANCING
7.1. The City will seek to gradually increase pay-as-you-go as an option for financing
capital over time. Factors which favor pay-go financing include:
Asset Renewal Projects;
Assets with a useful life that is less than 10 years for example, IT
equipment and road maintenance;
Situations where additional debt could adversely impact the Citys financial
health;
Situations where market conditions favour the use of cash rather than debt
(for example, escalating interest rates)
6
City of Saint John
Debt Management (DRAFT)
8. REPORTING
8.1. The total debt outstanding, and total annual debt service payments will be
reported in the annual consolidated financial Statements;
8.2. Key performance indicators for debt
Annual Financial Health Report Card;
8.3. Long-term debt will be forecasted over the long term in a Debt Management Plan
based on the Capital Investment Plan as part of the -Term Financial
Plan.
9. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES
9.1 Council shall:
9.1.1 Approve the Debt Management Policy;
9.1.2 Approve new debt issues; and
9.1.3 Approve budgets sufficient to provide for the timely payment of principal
and interest on all debt.
9.2 Finance Committee shall:
9.2.1 Review borrowing requirements for alignment with the Long Term Financial
Plan; and
9.2.2 Recommend to Council the approval of new debt issues.
9.3 The Finance Commissioner shall:
9.3.1
management goals and submit required changes to the Finance Committee
for recommendation to Common Council consideration and approval.
9.3.2 Assume primary responsibility for the debt management process;
9.3.3
Financial Plan;
9.3.4 Provide for the issuance of debt at appropriate intervals and in reasonable
amounts as required to fund approved capital expenditures;
9.3.5 Submit to Finance Committee and Council, all recommendations to issue
debt; and
9.3.6 Ensure compliance with the principles and mandatory requirements
contained in this policy.
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March 13
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FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Report Date March 08, 2019
Meeting Date March 13, 2019
His Worship Mayor Darling and Members of Common Council
SUBJECT: Wage Escalation Policy FAS-007
OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION
This matter is to be discussed in open session of Common Council.
AUTHORIZATION
Primary Author Commissioner/Dept. Head City Manager
Hilary Nguyen Kevin Fudge John Collin
RECOMMENDATION
Be it resolved that:
1. Finance Committee recommends that Common Council approve the
Draft City of Saint John Wage Escalation Policy FAS-007.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It is recommended that Common Council approve the Wage Escalation Policy for
the City of Saint John. The Wage Escalation Policy is an important component of
a Long-Term Financial Plan because it will help address one of the major causes
of structural deficit by ensuring that the City spends within its means.
The Policy will put the City on a sustainable path going forward.
PREVIOUS RESOLUTION
N/A
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
The Wage Escalation Policy is aligned with Council Priorities.
REPORT
The City has a sizable structural deficit and is currently using temporary financial
assistance from the Province of New Brunswick in the amount of $7.1 million in
2019 to fund its operations. The temporary funding will stop at the end of 2020.
In additio, the City has a high level of debt and is
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underfunding its infrastructure which will require signfincant investment in the
future in order to deliver reliable services to citizens.
For the first time, the City is developing a Long-Term Financial Plan that will put
the City on a sustainable path going forward. To ensure a suscessful
implementation of the Long-Term Financial Plan, key underlying causes of the
structural deficit and financial challenges related to debt and infrastructure have
to be addressed. One of the causes is expenditure growth outpacing revenue
growth.
As seen below, wages and benefits accounted for 58% of the total General
Operating Budget in 2018. The percentage has gone up since 2013.
Wages & Benefits as a percentage of Total
General Operating Budget
58%58%
60%
57%
57%
56%
55%
55%
50%
45%
40%
201320142015201620172018
It is projected that if the trend continues, wages and benefits will account for 2/3
of the total Operating Budget in 10 years. From 2014 to 2019, tax revenue has
increased $5.9 million while wages and benefits have gone up by $8.9 million.
The following graph compares wage increases for all employee groups to the
assessment base growth for the years 2014 to 2019.
4.50%
Compare wage increases for all employee groups to assessment base
4.00%
growth from 2014 to 2019
3.50%
Management
3.00%
Inside Workers
2.50%
Outside Workers
2.00%
Fire Fighters
1.50%
1.00%
Police Association
0.50%
Assessment Base Growth
0.00%
201420152016201720182019
-0.50%
-1.00%
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The Wage Escalation Policy is needed to ensure that expenditure growth is
aligned with revenue growth.
Objectives of the Wage Escalation Policy:
The City spends within its means;
Wage escalation does not cause a tax rate increase;
;
All employee groups are treated equitably.
Application:
The City Manager shall recommend wage increases in accordance
with the Wage Escalation Policy;
Recommendations for wage increases shall be based on the previous
three year rolling average of Assessment Base Growth;
In any case, wage increases shall not exceed CPI plus 1% unless
supported by a business case and approved by Common Council.
The Three Year Rolling average is recommended due to the following factors:
The fluctuation in the assessed value of properties for tax purposes
will be smoothed out by the rolling average;
Historical trend can help predict future growth;
The Three Year Rolling Average is a reliable source of information that
can be validated;
A compensation model based on the Three Year Rolling Average is
predictable, affordable and equitable.
Conclusion:
th
Wage Escalation Policy is the 7 Financial Policy recommended by the Finance
Committee. The Suite of Financial Policies will help strenghthen governance
related to fiscal responsibilities and improve overall financial health of the City.
The Wage Escalation Policy is aligned with Council Priorities.
SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES
The Wage Escalation Policy is aligned with Council Priorities and will contribute
to the successful implementation of the Long-Term Financial Plan.
INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS
Click here to enter text.
ATTACHMENTS
List attachments related to report.
Title: Wage Escalation Policy
Subject: Wage increases Category: Finance and Administrative Services
Policy No.: FAS-007 M&C Report No.:
Effective Date: Next Review Date:
Area(s) this policy applies to: Cross Corporate Office Responsible for review of this Policy:
Finance and Administrative Services
Related Instruments: Policy Sponsors:
FAS-001 Asset Management Policy Commissioner of Finance and Administrative Services
FAS-002 Investment Management Policy
FAS-003 Reserves Policy
FAS-004 Operating Budget Policy
FAS-005 Capital Budget Policy
FAS-006 Debt Management Policy
Document Pages:
This document consists of 4 pages.
Revision History:
Common Clerk's Annotation for Official Record
Date of Passage of Current Framework:_________________________
I certify that this Policy was adopted by Common Council as indicated
above.
________________________ ______________________
Common Clerk Date
Date Created: Common Council Approval Date: Contact:
Finance and Administrative Services
City of Saint John
Wage Escalation Policy (DRAFT)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. PURPOSE AND
2. POLICY STATEMENT ..................................................................................................... . 3
2. DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................... 3
3. PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION ..................................................................................... 3
4. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................................................................... 4
2
City of Saint John
Wage Escalation Policy (DRAFT)
1. PURPOSE AND CONTEXT
1.1. For the first time, the City is developing a long-term financial plan that will put the
City on a sustainable path going forward. To be sustainable, the City must find
ways to control costs that have been escalating faster than its revenue growth.
1.2. In 2019, wages and benefits account for 57% of the total Operating Budget. To be
sustainable, wage increases must become better aligned with tax base growth.
1.3. From 2014 to 2019, wages & benefits have increased $8.9 million while tax
revenue has increased only $5.9 million.
1.4. Wage escalation policy is needed to provide direction to staff and to ensure that
ability to pay is considered in future labor contract negotiations.
2. POLICY STATEMENT
2.1. The Wage Escalation Policy is established to ensure that the City is on a sustainable
path by aligning expenditure growth with tax base growth.
2.2. The Wage Escalation policy objectives are as follows:
The City spends within its means;
Wage escalation does not cause a tax rate increase;
Wage escalation does not e;
All employee groups are treated equitably.
3. DEFINITIONS
Municipal Assessment Base for Tax Purposes means the total amount of
property values for property tax purposes.
Assessment Base Growth means the percentage increase in the
Municipal Assessment Base for Tax Purposes on an annual basis.
4. PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION
4.1 Principles:
4.1.1 Wage increases must be affordable;
4.1.2 Wage increases must not exceed the assessment base growth;
4.1.3 Notwithstanding clause 4.1.2, wage increases cannot exceed CPI plus 1%
unless it is supported by a business case and approved by Common Council;
4.1.4 Bargaining or non-bargaining employees are treated equitably.
3
City of Saint John
Wage Escalation Policy (DRAFT)
4.2 Application:
4.2.1 The City Manager shall recommend wage increases in accordance with the
Wage Escalation Policy;
4.2.2 Recommendations for wage increases shall be based on the previous three
year rolling average of Assessment Base Growth;
4.2.3 Utilizing a Three Year Rolling Average is a recommended approach due to
the following factors:
The fluctuation in the assessed value of properties for tax purposes
will be smoothed out by the rolling average;
Historical trend can help predict future growth;
The Three Year Rolling Average is a reliable source of information
that can be validated;
A compensation model based on the Three Year Rolling Average is
predictable, affordable and equitable.
Example of a 3-year rolling average of assessment base growth from 2017-
2019:
2017201820193-Year Rolling Average
0.59%0.39%1.86%0.95%
4.2.4 In any case, wage increases shall not exceed CPI plus 1% unless it is
supported by a business case and approved by Common Council.
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES
5.1 Council shall:
5.1.1 Approve the Wage Escalation Policy;
5.1.2 Direct staff to use the three-year rolling average of the assessment base
growth in future contract negotiations.
5.2 Finance Committee shall:
5.2.1 Recommend the Wage Escalation Policy to Common Council for approval;
5.2.2 Review any changes to the Wage Escalation Policy in the future.
5.3 The Finance Commissioner shall:
5.3.1 Review annually to ensure that wage and benefit increases are in
compliance with the Wage Escalation Policy;
5.3.2 Update the three-year rolling average of the assessment base growth on an
annual basis and make the information available to Human Resources and
all employee groups.
5.3.3 Recommend any changes to the Wage Escalation policy in the future.
4
March 2019
City of Saint John
Wage Escalation Policy
m Financial Plan
ong Ter
Public Engagement
City of Saint John L
Thank you