By Erika Enge Blue Mountain Courier Herald:
The Blue Mountains council asked staff to overhaul the 2009 proposed budget after a presentation at Monday's council meeting showed an increase in tax levy of 2.3 per cent, down from the original 5 per cent predicted at the start of budget deliberations. Director of finance, Rob Cummings presented a revised budget, including cuts to reserve contributions, training and travel expenses, consulting and cemetery expenses. The revisions suggested support for the Collingwood Airport, though not included in the 2009 draft budget, be removed from the predicted 2010 and 2011 budget to reduce those tax levies as well. The report also suggested charging $2 instead of $1 for garbage bag tags. Staff surrendered their $125 per year clothing allowance and council opted to do the same at Mayor Ellen Anderson's suggestion.She also asked council to consider giving up their per diem reimbursements when they are away at conferences. All conceded.
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The motion to move forward with the changes to the draft budget and the new levy of 2.3 per cent was voted down, with only Mayor Ellen Anderson and Deputy Mayor Duncan McKinlay in favour. "I was supportive of the proposed budget because there was a reasonable reduction and it supported the programs that council had instructed staff to fund in 2009," said McKinlay after the council meeting. Councillor John McGee thanked the staff for the work they'd done, but said that the one thing lacking was a macro view of the budget. He explained that it was important to clearly see the growth of the municipal government and where money is being spent, what support costs are going up and what services are being provided. He recalled that in the 1974/1975 recession, many businesses, including the office where he worked, found a lot of excess costs that had found their way into the system during the good times, and he thought the town should do the same. He didn't disagree with the 2.3 per cent tax levy, but he did disagree with the way they arrived at that number, saying there should be cuts to new hires and training. "It's a $10 million budget," he said. "We're taking on $170,000 in new hires ... I'd love to see $100,000 out of training and travel and another $100,000 out of salaries and benefits ... those are big numbers." Councillor John McKean agreed with McGee's thoughts on new hires. He noted that new hires for 2009 were budgeted at $171,000, and added that there was another $95,000 for 2010 and $145,000 for 2011. "I have problems with that in today's economy," said McKean. "Some of the services, we're going to have to get out of." He said The Blue Mountains had to get away from "what we'd like to have in a budget," and instead look at "what we need in a budget."
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