City Council could tackle their future budgets a little sooner, if council decides to move their budget dates earlier in the year.
Mayor Bill Mauro is asking to hold budget meetings in December, instead of January and February. He says he’s canvassed other communities and our Chief Financial Officer Linda Evans on the idea.
“The suggestion here is that we move forward a couple of months. We would have a year-end budget, we can begin the calendar year knowing what our budget will be,” Mauro says.
The Mayor points out cities like Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, and Ottawa ratify their budgets by mid-December.
Westfort Councillor Kristen Oliver told her fellow members last night it could be beneficial.
“There is a lot of support among the contractors, construction companies, a lot of the companies we do get goods and services from. It helps them plan their years better if by the end of December they know what the next fiscal [year] is going to look like,” she explains.
A report is coming back to City Council in two weeks’ time.
City Manager Norm Gale admits while that is a very tight timeline for city Administration, they’ve had this option on the radar for some time. Along with having some of the work done already, Gale adds they also want to buckle down to avoid any delays.
“If this move is to be made, there are significant implications for this year rolling out. If Council chooses to do this, we need to do it sooner rather than later,” Gale emphasizes.
