Budget meetings start on Wednesday. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Budget 2025

Council to start budget deliberations with a draft $8 million increase in spending

Jan 6, 2025 | 4:38 PM

The draft budget that will be presented to Prince Albert’s city council starting on Wednesday includes a spending increase of $8 million more than last year.

That would put the total city revenue from property taxes at just shy of $57 million. Combined with $14.5 million in grants and donations, $10.5 million in user charges and fees and almost $8 million from grants in lieu and the city would have $90 million in spending, an increase of $10 million from last year.

Council goes over the budget with a fine-tooth comb every year however, and will almost certainly make some changes to the draft put in front of them.

Significant increases are being asked for in specific parts of the general fund, with just under $2 million in extra spending required for staff (excluding police and the new Lake Country Leisure Centre) following salary increases.

Prince Albert Police have again requested a significant increase of close to $1.3 million, which is 6.6 per cent. Last year, they asked for $1.5 million and were given $750,000 instead.

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The budget submission from the police states that some of the funding is needed to meet the recommendations made in the Knecht Report, a review of the service completed in 2022 at the direction of the Minister of Corrections and Policing.

The report gave 45 recommendations, some of which had been completed before the report was released. Others require more significant changes.

This year’s request is supposed to help meet the recommendations aimed at public trust and confidence, crisis and reputation management, public safety and awareness, accountability and transparency and community engagement.

An increase of almost 5 per cent is planned in salaries, wages and benefits, which makes up over 80 per cent of police spending. Officers and other staff were given a three per cent wage increase.

As always, city staff propose a list of projects to be done or equipment to buy that are listed in the capital budget for the whole community. This year, those requests are $1 million higher than last year but are partially offset by the decommissioning of the Frank Dunn Pool and potential sale of the Dave G. Steuart Arena.

A parking lot rehab is needed for city facilities, two boilers need replacing and some new surveying equipment and upgrades to a cold storage building are also being asked for.

For years, the Fire Department has been saying that a second – or even third – firehall is needed to allow them to meet recommended response times for the whole city.

The department identified land the city owns in the West Hill and at the corner of 15th Street and 15th Avenue on the east side of town as good locations. But the buildings will cost a significant amount of money so this year’s proposal it to start putting some of that money into a reserve.

Last year, a $100,000 donation from the estate of a doctor started the reserve which the suggestion is to add $500,000 to in 2025.

Other capital priorities include $4.4 million to the roadways paving and concrete program along with a number of smaller projects.

The long-term debt repayment on the Aquatic and Arena’s project (now the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre) will be $652,000 for both loans.

Budget meetings begin at 8 am on Wednesday and will continue on Thursday and Friday at city hall. More meetings will be called if needed.

The city has said they may be livestreamed for people who want to watch from home.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social