Bike lanes, road paving and arena improvements are all on the 2014 budget chopping block at city hall.
It's all part of a long list of potential spending cuts necessary just to bring in a budget increase of 3.1 per cent.
City staff are recommending a number of spending reductions just to reach that starting point.
The list includes:
- saving $200,000 by installing no more bike lanes for the next 10 years
- reducing the purchase of new buses leading to an older and less reliable fleet to save $500,000
- reducing arterial road maintenance and paving
- upgrading on street parking machines could be put on hold to save $175,000
- not upgrading the Glen Cairn Arena would save another $125,000
But Mayor Joe Fontana says those cuts are not set in stone, yet.
"If these are priority items that we need to do, those amount to like .3 or .4. Let's focus on the big enchilada, the elephant in the room," says Fontana.
Fontana believes if money is held back from budget requests of police and fire, it could fund other priorities.
Also, it's not all about subtraction. There are several projects the city would like to add to the budget next year if it has the money.
But staff's proposal to raise the necessary funds involves a "dirty" four letter word in the mayor's office, "levy."
A one per cent levy would raise the tax rate to 4.1 per cent and contribute to a number of short- and long-term projects including:
- repairing Blackfriars Bridge
- improved safety at pedestrian rail crossings
- new industrial land along Highway 401-402
- a performing arts centre
- grants to several non-profit agencies
But the mayor, who once promoted an economic development levy, now says his finance department needs to be more creative.
"I think we will be able to find ways to fund the projects in other ways. For them to put it in, of course the administration would love to say just give us one per cent more," adds Fontana.
