Distressed by talk of a tax increase next year? There are opportunities to learn more about the City of Yellowknife’s draft budget – and supply feedback – this week.
Last week, administration’s draft budget featured a 2.87 percent tax increase. However, city councillors have yet to begin their line-by-line examination of the proposed budget and that figure is likely to change. In some previous years, tax increases proposed in the draft have not seen the light of day in the finished product.
Residents wanting to find out more and give feedback can attend open-house sessions at City Hall from 11:30am till 1:30pm and 7pm till 9pm on Tuesday and Thursday this week.
“Before everyone gets too excited, let’s keep in mind this is a draft budget,” urged councillor Julian Morse following its publication last week. “Council hasn’t deliberated on it yet, and won’t be voting on anything until December.
“The city has to provide a draft, otherwise there would be nothing for councillors or the public to deliberate on.”
Councillor Steve Payne added: “I can assure you that council will be going through the budget with a fine-toothed comb to bring that increase down.
“But with that being said, we have to expect costs to go up from year to year. We just have to try our best to look at reducing the budget where we can.
“We live in a town with some amazing facilities and we deserve to have them. But they come at a cost.”
