The public got a first look at the District of Sechelt's 2009 budget at Wednesday's committee of the whole meeting.
"This is an overview. We'll do the broad brush strokes first," said corporate financial officer Andrea deBucy.
DeBucy said she arranged the budget around council's top priorities: airport expansion, a marine access gateway, economic stimulus and maintenance and improvement of infrastructure and public spaces. The draft budget projects no increase in taxes.
"If grants don't come through, that will limit our ability," she said. "I didn't put things in the budget that we can't get to this year. I'm trying to be realistic here. There is $2 million [in the draft] to do with sewage projects and it is grant dependent."
Protective services is one area where deBucy could cut costs. She met with Sunshine Coast RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Picard and was enlightened to the fact that they have been understaffed and unable to recruit staff because of a shortage of officers everywhere.
Each year, the District has been setting aside money for policing that affected the tax rate for all District property owners. Currently, according to deBucy there is one million dollars in trust. DeBucy wants to align the budget so it more closely reflects actual staffing rather than use the current staffing formula that continues to set aside $200,000 a year.
"I've seen conservative budgeting in the past. We end up overtaxing our citizens when we are overly conservative," she said in highlighting several areas in the draft budget that show more realistic numbers than in years past.
DeBucy said the District has up to $5 million in debt, which is not bad, that it is comparable to having a three quarters full gas tank. When the 2009 projected expenditures are subtracted from total revenue, the District is sitting at minus $227,400. "It looks like we're spending a little more than we have coming in," she said. "To balance the books, we could use additional reserves, increase taxes or a combination of both. Every $60,000 needed generates a one per cent tax increase."
Further public presentations on the budget are set for April 8 at 1 and 6 p.m. prior to regular council meeting on April 15 and again on April 16 at 2 p.m.
