This week Kamloops council said they’d like there to be no property tax increase next year, but where would the city get the funds to cover it?

Councillor Sadie Hunter was on the NL Morning News, and was asked if there was a concrete plan in place. “Not at this point. So, yesterday’s conversation with staff was seeking direction in terms of where to go with the budget.”

“Do we want to go continue to maintain the same levels of services? Do we want to spend money to reignite the economy or do we want to look at keeping the tax increase to zero so there is no tax increase?”

Hunter says they’re looking at different options. “At this point we’re not sure where those cuts could be.”

“It could be from across the organization, it could come from services, it could come in innovative ways in terms of looking at reduced hours for different facilities and how long they’re open for or how they’re accessed so it’s really going to be a mixed bag I would think.”

She says these unique times call for a unique approach. “Normally in budget season the supplemental budget items would come forward and council deliberates and discusses what we would like to add so this is kind of the reverse of that process where a list of items will be brought to us and we will discuss which ones are going to not continue with in the effort to keep a zero percent tax increase.”

Hunter admits it won’t be easy, “We’re definitely going to be looking at balance quality of life with financial prudence but that’s no different than what anyone else has to do in their own household.”

“This is just an extrapolation of that to the entire municipal budget.”

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