(File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Budget Talks

City outlines funding for different projects during budget deliberations

Nov 23, 2021 | 2:00 PM

Prince Albert City Council still has some work to do before finalizing the 2022 budget.

Council spent hours last week removing or postponing certain items and projects during four days of deliberations.

In an email to paNOW, the City of Prince Albert said they don’t have a final number yet for the 2022 budget as they expect more to be trimmed. That will be decided in future deliberations to be set at a later date.

So far, police services are set to receive the biggest increase in funding as a result of last week’s discussions.

On the first day of budget talks, they asked for roughly $18.3 million for their operating and capital budgets with council approving that request.

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The budget is an increase from the $17.4 million budget approved for 2021.

About $515,000 comes from the multi-year proactive policing strategy council which starts in January through the base tax.

The Prince Albert Fire Department’s budget was first approved at $7.8 million for its five branches: administration, fire fighting, prevention, fleet and equipment, and maintenance.

That is $23,000 less than what they asked for, but roughly $115,000 more than what they were given in 2021.

The department was hoping to add four new positions, a training captain and three firefighters, but it was voted against.

The cost would have been around $390,000 with council wanting to hold future discussions around funding avenues for the department.

“I truly respect the decisions of council,” said Kris Olsen, P.A. Fire Chief. “The need is evident and hopefully made clear during my presentation.”

They’ve also requested a full review of the fire department.

Council did approve allocating over $16,000 from the fire fleet reserve for a new “jaws of life” rescue tool. The department already has two machines but the new equipment would be added to the lead engine which is often the first on the scene.

They also gave the green light for a municipal services centre at a cost of around $10,491,000. The project will only go forward if 100 per cent of the funds are covered by the federal government. The facility would be built on 38^th Street East.

The city is also set to allocate $120,000 for the proposed Crescent Heights Spray Park and $100,000 for improvements at James Isbister Park. The Malcolm Jenkins Family Foundation will also be donating $200,000 to each of the projects.

The municipal funds are coming from money saved during previous budgets.

The continued reconstruction of the city’s paved roadway network is set to be the biggest project funded through the 2022 capital budget, sitting at $4.1 million.

Around $300,000 is slated to be used on improving concrete sidewalks, curbs, and medians. The city’s administration originally asked for $400,000, however, council voted to cut $100,000.

Other projects being funded through the capital budget include $130,000 to replace playground equipment, $100,000 towards fixing the roofs of the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library and Alfred Jenkins Field House, $200,000 to repair the air handling unit at the Art Hauser Centre, and $252,000 towards paying off the seven 35-foot transit buses the city bought in 2017.

“There are a lot of important projects in this budget that add value to our residents, but we understand the importance of keeping property taxes low,” added Mayor Greg Dionne, in a release. “There is still work to be done and we want to consider options before we can release a final budget.”

When budget talks resume, council is set to consider the proposed sanitation, landfill, utility, and airport budget.

The overall budget is expected to be officially approved at the Dec. 13 council meeting.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow