Nearly one month after budget discussions began at City Hall, the city has its final 2011 budget figures calculated.
Council entered into the budget process with a $1.87 million deficit but after millions of dollars in cuts were made over the past month, council created a $275,615 surplus for this year. Dollars returned to the city by the Strathcona Regional District for a tax levy error helped, injecting $305,500 into the budget as did new construction ($339,392), and a 2009 budget surplus ($138,768).
The biggest impact to the budget though was the $3.6 million cuts which included cancelled projects and reduced operating expenses.
The city’s operating department and the parks and recreation department had more than $260,000 taken out of the two budgets combined.
The city manager’s travel budget was reduced and the summer student positions chopped down from six to four. Council also cut out expensive studies and strategies such as a $22,000 communications survey.
Laura Ciarniello, the city’s interim corporate services manager, says the reductions will not have a big impact on the community.