Two days into budget deliberations, the 8.5-per-cent tax increase in the first draft of the document has been cut significantly.
Councillors head back into talks at 5:30 p.m. this afternoon.
Tuesday night saw councillors further trim costs, including cutting some summer student positions with a $100,000 reduction to the parks budget. One of those other items was reducing the budget by $15,000 to cut Freddy the Firetruck, a childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 engagement tool designed to give high-fives, and promote fire safety and prevention.
SA国际影视传媒淚t may sound silly, but thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a point to it. SA国际影视传媒� ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 a fire prevention message. You start to engage people in silly ways when theySA国际影视传媒檙e very young and hopefully they carry that as they get older,SA国际影视传媒� Eric Bussey, director of public safety, told council Tuesday, adding that there were other ways to engage youth.
Coun. Julian Morse saw value in the engagement, reflecting on fire department outreach last year that led him to update safety measures in his home. Someday, those tools may save someoneSA国际影视传媒檚 life, he said.
If Freddy the Firetruck achieves something similar, Morse saw the value in it.
Coun. Cynthia Mufandaedza had a similar experience, where her children shared fire safety information, which also could potentially save lives.
SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 know if we can put a price on saving lives,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Coun. Robin Williams agreed that these were important values, but didnSA国际影视传媒檛 see Freddy the Firetruck as essential to these efforts. Mayor Rebecca Alty, meanwhile, said an actual firetruck youth could climb around in with accompanying fire fighters could also engage them.
Council voted to leave Freddy the Firetruck behind, with Morse and Mufandaedza opposed.
Equipment designed to catch vehicles sporting radar detectors similarly saw the door, cutting $8,000 from the budget.
SA国际影视传媒淚 havenSA国际影视传媒檛 seen a radar detector since Guns SA国际影视传媒楴SA国际影视传媒� Roses released Appetite for Destruction,SA国际影视传媒� Coun. Steve Payne. SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 know if we really need to have this piece of equipment.SA国际影视传媒�
Morse, however, noted the $8,000 savings would have a minimal impact on taxes, which Payne disagreed with, saying even small efficiencies should be pursued.
Coun. Niels Konge questioned the volume of vehicles using radar detection, and thinks Municipal Enforcement Division resources would be better suited to monitoring speeding in school zones.
The motion passed, with Morse opposed.
Street Outreach discussed
Williams suggested lowering funding to the Street Outreach program to $120,000, to be accommodated with increased support from upper levels of government. Morse, however, was concerned about impacts to the program, which is run by the Yellowknife Womens Society.
He was concerned the program would be lost as result of SA国际影视传媒渁 political move.SA国际影视传媒�
Meanwhile, the program has a van nearing the end of its life, and has asked the city for help replacing it. Council opted to direct $50,000 from the downtown development reserve to support the purchase.
SA国际影视传媒淔or me, discontinuation of the program is a non-starter,SA国际影视传媒� Morse said, before Payne added his support to WilliamsSA国际影视传媒� motion, which was defeated by the remaining councillors.
