City budget unchanged so far

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Port Alberni City Council has been debating the 2024 budget for a month now and yesterday it passed second reading but the tax increase still remains at 16.86%.

Mayor Sharie Minions said there’s still more time to bring down this years budget increase.

“There’s absolutely lots of chance for that budget number to change still, we have requested a lot of information and there’s a lot of information that is still to come, there’s alternative funding sources to consider and council will has ample time to make those changes still,” she said. “This is a normal part of the process, and I would say we’re absolutely not stuck on that number. There’s very much a desire on council to see that tax increase reduced.”

Minions says the 2023 surplus is still to be finalized, and applied to the budget.

Meanwhile, City Council approved more counsellors to go to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities meeting in Calgary this year.

Usually only the Mayor and one council member goes, but Minions says greater representation is good for the city.

“I think that there is a significant value in FCM to have counsellors attend, and understand what’s working and not working in other communities but specifically this year with the budget increase I think there’s a desire to attend be able to go to all of the sessions as they are overlapping and one person can’t attend all and get ideas from other municipalities is on creative ways we could be improving what’s happening in our community,” she said.

Council’s $71,000 travel and training budget hasn’t increased, and last year they spent 3/4 of it.

Councillor Todd Patola spent slightly over $13,000 while Mayor Minions spent slightly under.

They were the only council members to attend last years FCM in Toronto

Councillor Charles Mealey spent just $1100 of his budget as he didn’t attend any conferences.