City staff is proposing cuts to municipal snow removal service to keep this year’s property tax increase as low as possible.
The cuts are designed to save the city about $3 million. Staff told council if the savings aren’t made, it means as much as a 1.9 percent tax increase - on top of the 5.3 percent budget hike announced last week.
It’s up to city council to decide which cuts, if any, should be made. Staff presented councillors with five options, which could be combined or implemented separately.
Proposed options include reducing the number of shifts for city crews and contractors or converting some roads from salted bare pavement to sandy snow-packed service levels.
They also mentioned eliminating one of four foreperson positions at each of the five operations depots and reducing the amount of time trucks are contracted to be on standby between April 15th and 30th.
There were three major winter storms in Greater Sudbury last year, forcing the city to overspend on its snow removal budget by about $2-3 million.
Council decided in June 2006 to spend an extra $4.4 million in 2007.
After listening to city staff’s presentation and dissecting the options, council directed staff to return with a different plan to save money based on proposals the former council heard in June 2006 before spending that extra $4.4 million.
A handful of council members, including the mayor, also urged staff to consult with front-line workers on the matter.
City staff told council they’ve had brief discussions with supervisory staff, as well as a preliminary meeting with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), but haven’t spoken to any contractors.
CUPE local 4705 president Wyman MacKinnon said the bosses at city hall haven’t always been willing to hear from front-line workers on important issues, but he does see changes coming with new leadership.
City staff have also presented council with a $200,000 option for customer service enhancements including access to GPS snowplow tracking and video surveillance installed at “strategic locations.”
City staff will present their revised report on winter maintenance March 5. Council is expected to finalize the 2007 budget two days later, on March 7.
The full budget document is available at libraries, citizen service centres, and on the city’s website at www.greatersudbury.ca.
Breakdown of proposed 5.3 percent property tax increases: |
