How Shoemaker’s proposing to cut $567,325 from the city budget

The chopping has already started for next week's city budget deliberations.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker has proposed seven changes to the proposed 2024 budget that would result in $567,325 in savings. 

The proposed $216-million operating budget would increase the tax levy by 7.2 per cent.

The mayor has said that's unacceptable.

Other members of city council are proposing a total of $85,000 in cuts.

The following are the seven resolutions prepared by Mayor Shoemaker for Monday's budget session:

• be it resolved that council phase in the public works fleet management improvements over three years (2024, 2025 and 2026) instead of the two remaining years (2024 and 2025) currently budgeted for in the preliminary budget, at a savings of $183,000 in the 2024 budget
• be it resolved that council direct the inclusion of $200,000 from the tax stabilization reserve to mitigate the increase in fuel costs, if required
• be it resolved that council direct that the increase in fuel costs in the 2024 budged be reduced by 15 per cent, at a reduction of $20,259 in the 2024 budget
• be it resolved that council direct that the increase in utilities and natural gas in the 2024 budget be reduced by 15 per cent at a reduction of $29,725 in the 2024 budget
• be it resolved that council only approve three additional summer students in 2024 of the six positions built into the 2024 preliminary budget, at a savings of $34,368
• be it resolved that council direct that the inflationary adjustment to the capital allocation in the 2024 budget be reduced by $100,000
• be it resolved that council direct that the 2024 recommended park upgrades added to the 2024 capital budget be funded from the parks subdivider reserve at zero impact to the 2024 operational budget

The following are resolutions to be introduced by ward councillors:

• Coun. A. Caputo: be it resolved that council direct that the Crimestoppers grant be reduced by $25,000 in the 2024 budget
• Coun. S. Hollingsworth: be it resolved that council direct that the Algoma University grant be eliminated from the 2024 budget, at a savings of $40,000
• Coun. L. Vezeau-Allen: be it resolved that council approve the budgetary increase of 8.47 per cent above the 2023 approved budget amount for the 2024 Police Service budget and provide SSMPS a funding envelope of $36,085,608 in 2024
• Councillor L. Vezeau-Allen: be it resolved that the mayor and council special funds budget be reduced from $35,000 to $15,000 in the 2024 budget, at a savings of $20,000

City council will hold budget deliberations on Monday and Tuesday of next week.