Budget time is always a balancing act between costs and services, but this year has become particularily tense.
The city is facing a 5.9% tax increase while many residents are on strike or laid-off due to the Western Forest Products labour dispute.
Mayor Sharie Minions says council is cognizant of the challenges in the community, and are working to bring budget costs down.
“This is a really challenging budget year and not only are we looking at a higher-than-average budget increase, we know that our community is not currently in a position to pay for it,” she said. “We are at this point trying to make sure that we have a full understanding of everything that’s included in the budget, and at our next budget meeting we’re going to have to start looking to make some changes.”
Minions said council will be receiving more departmental reports at the next scheduled meeting of council on Monday, and another budget meeting will be scheduled for early February.
