In one of the most sensible moves ever seen at Council, Councillor Cochrane had the smarts to request that our Top Cop and his budget request be moved from nearly last on the agenda to the top spot so that Inspector McVarnock wouldn't have to cool his heels for the 60 minutes of debate about Budget Priorities. I think that when a delegation arrives packing heat that it makes sense to hear him quickly and it should be mandatory to always schedule our Public protectors at the top of the agenda whenever possible and appropriate.
By a 5-1 vote the Inspector's budget request was passed with the lone opposition from Coun. Beardsell being that it should have gone first to the Finance Committee for their recommendation.
The next item up for discussion was the Budget Priorities section of the agenda. The Finance Manager quite adroitly explained that his comments about election year were simply to request that if Councillors had any projects that they had championed in the last election that they be brought forward so they could be debated for the 2008 year budget. Coun. Beardsell indicated that he wanted the City's reserve review and the 2007 capital works projects that would have to be carried forward to be completed so they could make meaningful input to meet a July 31 response date. Coun. Cochrane also wanted to ascertain the state and amount of the 2006 surplus and the 2007 projected to date indicated. The finance Manager did indicate that there would once again be a surplus in the short term investment account, unfilled vacancies but gave no estimates. (In 2007 I estimate a $400,000 surplus once again in the short term account and $100,000 in the fine revenue account and I have a beer to bet on it. ) He indicated that the 2006 surplus had not materially changed. ($1,553,704)
The Finance Manager indicated that the Auditors had yet to sign off on the financial statements and he would check to see if he could get an indication for the afternoon council meeting when the statements would be available. (I was told after the meeting that the Airport Financials had been approved but would be released when the City's financials were available.)
I expected the Council to recommend that my submission re the $275,000 to be placed in a 2008 residential tax Equalization fund to correct the 2007 budget decision be referred to the 2008 budget deliberations but it was ignored. After the meeting I discovered that it was on the backside of the budget priorities memo and may have been overlooked. Since Coun Nichol was not there to ask for action on it I guess no one on council was willing to bring it up.
The budget time line for 2008 was passed with public input slated for Dec. 4, 2007.
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