Prince George City Council lands on 6.21% tax increase for 2025

After about 16 hours of meetings split between today (Wednesday) and Monday, Prince George City Council has landed on a 6.21 per cent tax increase for 2025.

The proposed budget for 2025 originally came with a 5.83 per cent increase.

In the Capital Plan, Council cut approximately $160,000 out of the budget by cutting funding that would have seen the City’s Bylaw Department purchase two new side-by-side units and trailers.

This would have assisted bylaw officers in accessing off-road areas where other vehicles may not be able to access quickly.

A one per cent “efficiency” cut was made to the Human Resources budget, totaling $28,000.

“One per cent I think finds efficiencies but doesn’t cripple a division, I think it’s manageable,” said Councillor Kyle Sampson, who proposed the cut.

Sampson also proposed cutting the Emergency Programs budget by a third, or $123,000, and cutting the Outreach Program from the Bylaw Services budget for a cut of $210,000.

“Looking at the legislative requirements in this area, what other municipalities are doing, and maintaining the fact that providing emergency programs in our community is absolutely integral, but looking for ways to do it within our jurisdiction and our scope so that we’re ready to collaborate with the provincial government when it’s time, not take their downloaded services and responsibilities,” Sampson said on the Emergency Programs budget.

The $123,000 was not cut.

“Same preamble on downloading, doing responsibilities that are not the municipalities,” Sampson said on the Outreach Program.

“I think it’s prudent that we partner and support non-profits and organizations, special societies, I want to support some of the folks in the downtown core who are doing the work with folks to provide the outreach, but a municipality, and bylaw officers and bylaw services is not the organization to do that. We also have a [Memorandum of Understanding] with the Province of British Columbia to provide outreach services in Prince George, they’re not fulfilling that MOU, and I believe as long as we continue to fulfill that, they’re not going to.”

This cut did go through.

The last cut made to the budget came from the Snow Control Budget.

A snow control budget of $11 million was initially proposed, but Councillor Ron Polillo proposed reducing that by $500,000, but Councillor Trudy Klassen proposed reducing it by $1 million instead.

“I believe $1 million leaves us a little bit in jeopardy, this is a calculated risk, and I’m comfortable with a half a million,” Polillo said.

The City keeps a snow reserve in case the yearly snow budget goes over. Director of Finance and IT Services Kris Dalio said a $1 million reduction would bring the reserve down to about $1.2 million, about half of what he sees as the “goal” to keep in the reserve.

“For what it’s worth, I’m obviously not a vote, half a million, my back doesn’t get up, a million, it sort of does,” Dalio said.

“I think it would start to defer it and it might hit you next year in a bigger way than you would expect.”

Council ultimately decided on reducing the snow control budget by $1 million.

The decrease in funding won’t impact service levels when it comes to snow removal.

Council also considered several proposed service enhancements:

Increase Police Support Services municipal employee staff by three: one assistant manager of Operations ($140,093); one victim services worker ($92,116) and one community policing coordinator ($96,785) for a total of $328,994 (0.24 per cent)

Council only approved the funds to hire the Assistant Manager of Operations and the Community Policing Coordinator.

Increase RCMP contract strength from 153 members to 157 – four new members at $226,516 for a total of $906,064 (adds 0.65 per cent to the increase)

Council voted to fund all four members, but to wait until the second half of the year to hire them. Council did this last year as well.

Increase Fire Protection staff by five: five Firefighters ($132,354 each including $20,000 of clothing/training) and promote four senior firefighter positions to lieutenants at $17,588 each for a total of $732,122 (0.53 per cent)

This enhancement was approved.

“That would get us closer to achieving the standard recovery report for staffing another fire apparatus ultimately,” explained Fire Chief Cliff Warner.

He added this would also allow them to cross-staff for a medic unit that would be able to respond to other areas of the community easier than other fire apparatuses.

“We currently cross-staff two firetrucks at our Fifth and Ospika Fire Hall, we have a fire engine and we have a platform ladder truck, so we have four members at the fire hall and depending on the incident is which truck they take,” Warner said.

“The recommendation since 2015 is to ultimately staff that platform ladder truck so it has a fully staffed crew on it so that we can respond within the downtown core and meet the standards.”

Warner said they’re incrementally working towards getting that four-person crew.

Increase Bylaw Service by four bylaw officers at $92,668 each plus $25,000 for equipment and training for a total of $395,672 (0.28 per cent)

This enhancement was defeated.

“I think the work of the Bylaw Services is increasing, and downloading and offloading is definitely an issue,” said Councillor Brian Skakun.

“In the short term, the province probably isn’t going to do anything, so we have to fill that gap, and I support two.”

“I would like to, perhaps, see what the new Manager does with the existing staffing levels, and would perhaps consider an enhancement next year, but I’m not going to support that this year,” said Councillor Cori Ramsay.

Increase Communications staff by one engagement specialist:  $106,797 (0.08 per cent)

This enhancement was approved.

“Earlier this year, Council approved adding not only one open house, but a second open house,” said Councillor Tim Bennett.

“Finance and Audit has been pushing Communications to take engagement to where the people are. I feel that we can’t be sending mixed messages, if we want to get out and get into the community I think we need to have the support there.”

Increase Parks staff by two arborists: $198,574 (0.14 per cent), associated equipment ($701,500) would be procured in 2025 but would not hit the tax levy until 2026.

Increase Parks staff by one recreation event coordinator at $108,278 and a non-labour base budget of $100,000 to manage Canada Day and other events in community parks for a total of $208,278 (0.15 per cent)

Both of these enhancement was approved.

“I think this is extremely important, and without diving into things that make the hairs on Walt’s [Babicz] neck stand up, we’ve seen the repercussions of trees not being maintained, and we’ve got to keep that up,” Sampson said.

“We have so many trees that are getting older, I think we need to do a lot of the work with the age of the trees, which ones have to come down, and then again the parks need work so I will support both,” Skakun said.

Increase Planning and Development by one parks planner position for a total of $112,424 (0.08 per cent)

This enhancement was approved.

“There is the opportunity to increase the number of grant writing that would occur, so I think that this position, in the future, could not only be self-funded, but could draw additionally revenues in for the City,” Ramsay said.

With the budget approved, City Council will have to finalize the budget and tax increase prior to May 15th.

More information regarding the tax increase can be found on the City of Prince George’s website here.