https://twitter.com/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fredericton-city-budget-1.5778039
Fredericton facing $3.1M shortfall in next year's budget
City councillors don't want to see a tax increase
· CBC News · Posted: Oct 27, 2020 8:00 AM AT
Some Fredericton city councillors are hoping to avoid a tax increase to
meet the $3.1 million in shortfall in the city's budget. (City of Fredericton)
The city of Fredericton is grappling with how to make up an expected $3.1 million shortfall in next year's budget.
City staff attributed $2 million to revenue losses during the pandemic and $1.1 million to rising costs.
"It's a very large shortfall," said Coun. Greg Ericson, the chair of the city's finance and administration committee. "It's going to require some extraordinary budget decisions that we don't normally face in a budget."
Council heard loose options from staff at Monday night's budget meeting, which could include raising the tax rate, cutting capital projects or services, or a combination of all three.
A tax rate increase of four cents would make up the shortfall but most councillors said they were against a rise that high.
"I cannot support, in good conscience, a tax increase," said Coun. Kate Rogers.
"I'm not comfortable going to the public, because they too are struggling."
Coun. Dan Keenan also said he was against raising the tax rate. He said the cuts should come from elsewhere.
"We could reduce services temporarily or we could reduce our capital program temporarily."
Staff will come back to council with ideas on how to make up the shortfall at next week's budget meeting.
"We're going to look deeply into our capital budgets and our capital project priorities in order to determine ways to minimize and reduce this potential deficit down to zero without actually having to raise the burden on the community in undue ways," Ericson said.
106 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story
David Amos .
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Harvey York
Reply to @David Amos: only to you. Try to keep up
David Amos
Methinks my old
Harley and the Yankee cop tapes in its saddlebag that the Fat Fred City
Finest stole from me years ago is gonna cost the taxpayers of Fat Fred
City an interesting chunk of change too or my name ain't "Just Dave"
N''esy Pas?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: all it will cost them is an ambulance fee once they take you for another "stay"
Murray
Brown
That
$2 million skateboard park and eyesore behind the Carleton Street
Armory isn't looking so good now, since it's likely part of this $3
million dollar 'shortfall'. There must be like two hundred
skateboarders in the city dude, so that works out to $10,000 per
skateboarder... Maybe O'Brien can charge skateboarders licensing fees
for their park... Like $10,000 per license dude.
David Amos
Reply to @Murray
Brown: Methinks the folks in Fat Fred City know you are joking because
everybody knows whose kids they built that park for N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
Unfortunately many
Government workers at all 3 levels in the province view sick leave and
disablilty as paid vacation days that they're entitled to ! The private
sector has much tighter reins on this " self entitled phenomenon " !
Marc Martin
Reply to @Lou
DumBell: Bitterness will get you no-where. I know a lot of government
worker who never take all of their 15 sick leaves a year.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Yea Right
Marc Martin
Reply to @David Amos: Don't start something you cant finish Davis.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: I don't know a dude named Davis but certainly know who you are
Marc Martin
Reply to @David Amos: Are you sure your talking to the right Marc Martin this time ?
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Would you like me to name your family members just as mine are often named???
Ray Oliver
Reply
to @David Amos: And who's he related to? You must know some lawyer
politician bean counter or cop with the last name Martin you can "trust
that he's closely related too" from all your investigative prowess!!!
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: being a bean counter for you would be easy. Half of nothing is still nothing Nesy Pas?
David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver: I won't involve family members as you and your many cyber stalking buddies have done to my Clan
Lou Bell
Really surprised none
of these councillors have suggested look to outside communities for
money . That's the new template they all like to follow . " If at 1st
you don't succeed , go after others for your shortcomings " !
David Amos
Reply to @Lou Bell:
Methinks if the folks up on the Hanwell bake enough butter tarts they
will have no worries about the greedy snobs in Fat Fred City taxing them
N'esy Pas?
Billy
Buckner
I would be interested
to know what revenue was lost. Do municipalities not receive their
biggest chunk of change from property taxes? It would be nice to see a
project in the city actually get completed on time, does every city have
most projects run weeks over most of the time? And rising costs, what
costs were those? Were those salaries? Don't we pay city workers
better than most anyone in Atlantic Canada, maybe I am wrong. This city
has been poorly run for years, why should things stop now.
Winston
Gray
Reply to @Billy
Buckner: so you went from assuming Fredericton has a unique construction
problem that no other city has (honestly how do you not realize that’s
how all construction projects go?), to assuming they raised their own
salaries...
Not helpful, at all. Just trying to find a simple answer that you can understand, rather than listening to what the council ACTUALLY had to say.
Not helpful, at all. Just trying to find a simple answer that you can understand, rather than listening to what the council ACTUALLY had to say.
Lou Bell
Reply to @Billy
Buckner: Actually I believe wages for Frederictons employees are less
than both Saint John and Moncton . They're still too high but not the
highest . Moncton pays their garbage collectore just short of 80,000
dollars ! And they have a disability problem with many of them !
Marc
Martin
Reply to @Lou DumBell: Garbage collectors don't make $80 000 a year lol.
Marc
Martin
Reply to @Winston
Gray: I did not say anyone raised their own salaries, I wondered if part
of our cost problem is bloated salaries, but I was not sure where we
are compared to other cities, which is why I said I might be wrong on
that. As for construction projects, again, I can't comment on other
cities, and unless you are in the industry, you can't either. But if
they always go over you would think someone by now would realize that
and clue up when estimating finish times. I certainly know the big
cities do not tolerate this, they actually have them working weekends
and evenings when things fall behind, imagine that.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: I know some Yankee ones who make a great deal more than that
Marc
Martin
Reply to @David Amos: You know a garbage collector that makes more then $ 80 000 ? Maybe in your dreams ?
David Amos
Reply to @Marc
Martin: I know of more than just one Methinks anyone can check the wages
in Ontario or ask the strange dude whole bought the jail in my old
hometown N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
Reply to @Davis Amos: We are not talking about Ontario here...Pay attention.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Who is WE? I know I am
Les Cooper
Get rid of the union
and hire from private sector. You will get more work out of them and
less sick time. And you can get rid of the dead weight!
Winston Gray
Reply to @Les Cooper:
just what workers need, less rights and less pay and less benefits!
Who is your employer so I can call them and ask them to do the same to
you?
Marc Martin
Reply to @Les Cooper: Yeah hire from the private sector who will charge more and pay less the employees, makes sense....
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: So you say
Marc Martin
Reply to @David Santa Amos: So says facts.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: bs
Marc Martin
Reply to @David Santa Amos: Your on BS ? Surprise surprise !!
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Methinks I should sue you N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
Reply to @Davis Amos: I am scared...
David Amos
Reply to @Marc
Martin: Methinks you should be scared of irrefutable facts after all the
libel you have willingly published in the past N'esy Pas?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: sue me. Sue me. Sue everyone.
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Marc Martin: Don't be scared of him he's never accomplished a single thing in his entire life
Ray Oliver
Reply to @Marc Martin: what's BS? Is that a new producer of schi zo phren ia medication?
Duncan Lombard
Very recently Greg Ericson was saying how well the city was doing financially.
How did the wheels fall off overnight....!!!!!!!!
How did the wheels fall off overnight....!!!!!!!!
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Duncan Lombard:
Hold the phone Duncan.
The 2020 budget was for $124.4 million.
Cost of living increases, what, 2.5% yearly?
$124.4 million X 2.5% = $3.11 million
Not exactly "the wheels falling off" is it?
Hold the phone Duncan.
The 2020 budget was for $124.4 million.
Cost of living increases, what, 2.5% yearly?
$124.4 million X 2.5% = $3.11 million
Not exactly "the wheels falling off" is it?
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks it ain't rocket science N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos:
How do you manufacture a news story out of nothing?
How do you manufacture a news story out of nothing?
David Amos
Reply to @Terry
Tibbs: I don't everybody knows that I ran in Fat Fred City in the
Election of the 39th Parliament in 2005 many years after I went to High
School and UNB there in the sixties and early seventies
Marc Martin
Reply to @David Amos: Who cares.
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Methinks its blatantly obvious that YOU and Little Lou do N'esy Pas?
Marc Martin
Reply to @Davis Amos: Not really..cry me a river..
David Amos
Reply to @Marc Martin: Methinks fairly obvious to anyone it is you who has been crying bigtime today N'esy Pas?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: tears from laughter at you. How those cases coming along? Read to file them?
Emery
Hyslop-Margison
How about a
percentage reduction across the board to all municipal employees
including supervisors, mayor and council? I’ve been preaching for years
the current municipal structure in NB is unsustainable. Just one more
example. You can’t keep going to the public well when the public well is
dry.
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Emery
Hyslop-Margison: You can't give someone a reverse raise. They'd have to
do something like what their doing in Alberta - terminate the positions
and look to the private sector to recreate them at whatever actual
market value is.
I'm not saying this should be done necessarily and I'm not looking to eliminate all government jobs but the union people especially need to understand where the non-union people are coming. We LITERALLY CAN'T AFFORD to care about your stupid mandatory index raises.
I'm not saying this should be done necessarily and I'm not looking to eliminate all government jobs but the union people especially need to understand where the non-union people are coming. We LITERALLY CAN'T AFFORD to care about your stupid mandatory index raises.
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: Images of nurses doing tiktok dance routines in empty hospitals
all over the world are immediately coming to mind for some reason.
David Amos
Reply to @Justin Gunther: Methinks many are having the same thought these days N'esy Pas?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: is Justin one of your "clan"? He sounds like he could be. He's destined for greatness
Andrew Clarkson
And again...… As the house of cards continues to collapse!
David Amos
Reply to @Andrew Clarkson: Welcome back to the on going circus in Fat Fred City
Larry
Dickinson
Perhaps stop wasting
money on dumb projects like a skateboard park near the river which will
flood in the spring making swimming pools. Or Officers Square where a
skating "oval" sure isn't historic in any stretch of the imagination.
How about fixing the potholes or curbs, then painting the lines on the
street, not the other way around. Public works can't seem to schedule
work very well. And why not downsize the big city busses which run empty
most of the time. Get smaller ones, more of them, and run a bus service
where it doesn't take two hours and a tour of the city to get from
north to south.
Steve Gordon
Reply to @Larry
Dickinson: You hit the nail squarely on the head. How many thousands
are being waster to prepare, buy and install the piece of art they are
putting in the middle of the new victoria circle?
Steve Gordon
Reply to @Steve Gordon: *wasted*
Marc Martin
Reply to @Larry
Dickinson: Although i agree with you on the spending the skate park will
not be flooded, it has been built really high.
David Amos
Reply to @Larry Dickinson: Well put but trust that Mayor Mikey and his cohorts don't care
Alex Butt
If the city of
Fredericton ever learns that it is not a real city like Toronto,
Edmonton or Vancouver and realises this that would be a huge start. They
waste so much money on frivolous and unnecessary things like the
convention centre that sits empty almost all the time, play house, art
gallery upgrades, building traffic circles like they are going out of
style and the list goes on and on. There is not a huge population here,
and not many jobs other than government etc. and thus not the tax base
that they continue to tax until people can not afford to exists. It is a
vicious circle that is just getting worse and worse every year!
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Alex Butt:
Methinks many rural folks would agree that the snobs who inhabit Fat
Fred City get the governments they deserve N'esy Pas?David Amos
Reply to @David Amos: BINGO
JOhn D Bond
Simple answer, if
cities are starving for cash that is a result of people residing outside
of the boundary of the city and this results in many people commuting
to the city to take advantage of the amenities or services offered in
the city. Then put up toll roads on the entrance of the city. All non
city residents pay a toll of a few dollars per person per trip to the
city.
That would more than address the shortfall and the potential free ride the non city dwellers get by residing outside the city but using the city services or amenities.
That would more than address the shortfall and the potential free ride the non city dwellers get by residing outside the city but using the city services or amenities.
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D Bond: No.
Addie
lingley
Reply to @JOhn D
Bond: I would boycott the city then, and open my own store, the people
coming into the city KEEP the city going by shopping ect, we pay enough
now for EVERYTHING, and look at the mess we are in.
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Addie
lingley: So you believe it is ok to live outside the city, but yet use
the facilities on a regular basis that the city has to pay for that are
paid by property taxes and pay nothing for the access and use of the
services?
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Ronald Parker: Yes
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D
Bond: Do you know that a portion of gas tax goes to the cities to help
pay for rinks , ball fields ect and rural people buy lots of gas? Where
do you think people are coming from to fill jobs in the city?
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Ronald
Parker: That is not the point the gas tax is nominal. There are costs
supporting the infrastructure that is used that is paid by the city. It
is only fair that people pay. Not a full property tax but some nominal
amount that addresses the usage. The problem with the current
arrangement is that the cities will not be able to maintain the
services, they essentially wither and die and then the services, the
jobs, the amenities are no longer there. Consumption taxes are the
fairest way to address this.
Emery
Hyslop-Margison
Reply to @JOhn D
Bond: This is the truth that no one in this province wants to face. It’s
time to merge outlying communities with urban areas.
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Emery
Hyslop-Margison: I would agree something needs to be done that provides
the urban areas with sufficient and predictable revenue to support these
services. Right now the current system has more holes that Swiss
cheese.The province needs to address this sooner rather than later
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D Bond: Then instead of talking about here, write your letter to the people that can change it.
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Ronald
Parker: It is being discussed as per the article here last week. So
changes are coming, what and when is unknown. The reality is this is
just a board for opinions. Nothing more nothing less.
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D Bond: You know what they say about opinions.
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Ronald Parker: Why then are you bothering?
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D Bond: Because I can, you?
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D
Bond: I think there are lots of ways to address this problem instead
putting a toll for rural areas, some have been mentioned here already.
JOhn D Bond
Reply to @Ronald
Parker: Toll roads are simply an example of one of many ways that it
could be accomplished. Not stuck on toll roads as the only option.
Ronald Parker
Reply to @JOhn D Bond: Good, have a great day.
David Amos
Reply to @Ronald Parker: Methinks a lot of rural folks would like your style if they bothered to read these forums N'esy Pas?
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos:
a compliment to someone? From you? You trying to butter him up for a
couch to sleep on. Winters coming fast
David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver:
Speaking of winters Methinks your pals in thew RCMP and the Fat Fred
City Finest must have informed you that your blogging buddy Barry
Winters of Edmonton had a stroke and died after he was arrested and
charged with cybestalking right after I pointed to his words about
Trudeau and I in my complaint against the Queen in Federal in Fat Fred
City Anyone can listen to the courts own recordings from the links I
offer in the email and blogs you enjoy teasing me about N'esy Pas?
Matt Steele
Pretty much standard
operating procedure for politicians at all levels of govt. . Instead of
managing with what they have , and adjusting their spending , they
always want more taxes . Apparently politicians think that taxpayers are
bottomless pits of easy money . Wait until Trudeau starts piling on
the taxes to pay for all his mismanagement , and you will really see
taxes soar .
Toby Tolly
Reply to @Matt Steele: do you....Talk Music & Mental Health on CBC
David Peters
Reply to @Matt Steele:
Don't forget, inflation is also a tax.
Don't forget, inflation is also a tax.
David Amos
Reply to @Toby Tolly: Trust that he won't answer that question
Toby Tolly
and no one paying their water bills
guess its the first step to defunding the tax wasters
buy more art for the roundabouts plz
guess its the first step to defunding the tax wasters
buy more art for the roundabouts plz
David Amos
Reply to @Toby Tolly: Well put
David Peters
The fox guarding the
hen-house analogy seems to be applicable here. The foxes are saying
they need more hens, because they have no idea what happened to all the
ones who have disappeared.
How long are Canadians going to put up with this madness?
How long are Canadians going to put up with this madness?
Emery Hyslop-Margison
Reply to @David Peters: I think we’re bled dry?
David Amos
Reply to @David
Peters: Methinks on or about the 12th of Never the fat dumb and happy
sheople may sit up and pay attention N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Why are you writing
articles like this? There is not enough information contained here to
form an opinion. To a city with a total budget of $10 million $3.1
million is a BIG deal. To Fat Fred City, with a total 2020 budget of
$124.4 million, $3.1 million is pretty small potatoes.
$124.4 million is $10.3 million a month. With 2 months remaining in 2020 you could likely stop supplying toilet paper to executive bathrooms and make up the shortfall. I'm just kidding there, but you catch my thinking.
$124.4 million is $10.3 million a month. With 2 months remaining in 2020 you could likely stop supplying toilet paper to executive bathrooms and make up the shortfall. I'm just kidding there, but you catch my thinking.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Terry Tibbs:
Interestingly enough, I just did the math, a $3.1 million increase on a budget of $124.4 million is approximately 2.5%, so how is it mighty strange that a city has to deal with yearly inflation we all have to deal with?
This isn't even a story.
Interestingly enough, I just did the math, a $3.1 million increase on a budget of $124.4 million is approximately 2.5%, so how is it mighty strange that a city has to deal with yearly inflation we all have to deal with?
This isn't even a story.
Duncan Lombard
Reply to @Terry
Tibbs: Excellent calculation Terry.....by your logic, every year the
annual budget should only be short 2.5 %....!!!!!
Marc Martin
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: The real story is that the city lost most of that money because of parking fees.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks I had the ball long before you chucked it today N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Duncan Lombard:
If you don't build in inflation it certainly will be short. Governments of all three stripes (municipal/provincial, and federal)budgets all have to grow to match inflation, or someone will be shortchanged, or a deficit will result.
This is why, contrary to popular belief, none of these governments can afford to stand still, inflation will eat away at their budgets until they can no longer function.
If you don't build in inflation it certainly will be short. Governments of all three stripes (municipal/provincial, and federal)budgets all have to grow to match inflation, or someone will be shortchanged, or a deficit will result.
This is why, contrary to popular belief, none of these governments can afford to stand still, inflation will eat away at their budgets until they can no longer function.
David Amos
Reply
to @Terry Tibbs: Methinks its interesting that a member of the Police
Force that stole my Harley and continued to harass me and call me thief
etc would wish to argue you about your math but not me about what I say
about the Fat Fred City Finest N'esy Pas?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @David Amos:
It's not even math, it's simply common sense, and as you suggest there is none, probably making me a fool for trying to educate a zero.
It's not even math, it's simply common sense, and as you suggest there is none, probably making me a fool for trying to educate a zero.
Gerry
Ferguson
should extend the
city limits. Everyone wants to live on the Hanwell or Lincoln Rd just
outside town to avoid paying taxes to the city they basically live in.
Gerald Celente
Reply to @Gerry
Ferguson: I agree eliminate overlap, duplication and redundancy of
municipalities. But it won't happen as it is political suicide.
Les Cooper
Reply to @Gerry Ferguson: maybe cut taxes in Fredericton. I pay more taxes in Fredericton than I did in Edmonton!!! For less
David Amos
Reply to @Gerald Celente: Methinks "political suicide" is a private mental health issue that is illegal to discuss N'esy Pas?
No comments:
Post a Comment