Looking ahead, time to change

After passing the 2015 municipal budget this week, city council will begin taking a serious look at how it spends money in future years at its next regular meeting on Monday.

Council used over $1.9 million of surplus money, as well as money from redundant reserve funds, to  bring this year's tax levy increase down to 1.89 percent.

Council is aware that by bringing the levy down to less than 2 percent and, faced with expected decreases in provincial grants, it will likely face a $3 million gap when it prepares its 2016 budget.

Also aware that tax increases must be kept to a minimum in future years, council will discuss a resolution from city councillors Matthew Shoemaker and Susan Myers advocating a subcommittee of council be established to review the city's budgeting process, city operations and grants to outside agencies in an attempt to save money.

The committee would also consist of the interim CAO (then the new, permanent CAO), the Commissioner of Finance and Treasurer and the Manager of Audits and Capital Planning.

The committee would also consult with other municipalities for advice as part of the review.

The resolution is typical of what appears to be a council more mindful of the need to trim spending.

Mayor Christian Provenzano campaigned on, and has continued to call for, trimming spending in order to keep taxes low.

Funding for outside agencies was not reduced in the 2015 budget, as some councillors called for, because the various agencies had not been given time to prepare reports for council to outline their needs and make their cases for funding.

It has been suggested agencies might be put on notice their funding may be affected in the 2016 budget.

Agencies funded annually by the city include the Library Board, the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority, Humane Society, the Art Gallery of Algoma, the Red Cross and many others.