Yellowknife approves new budget, including 1.44% property tax increase

Yellowknife's 2019 budget has been approved, and even after scrapping casual jobs at city facilities and pushing back some costly projects, residents will still be seeing a 1.44 per cent property tax increase in the new year.

The $88.5-million budget was approved by city council at a meeting Monday night.

During budget deliberations, the tax increase had been reduced to 1.22 from the proposed 1.44 per cent. However, several last-minute amendments made by Coun. Niels Konge hiked it back up.

Konge's amendments, which includes reducing $40,000 for community services grants and reducing $50,000 from the Wildland Fire Mitigation program, would have balanced the budget and made a tax increase unnecessary.

But then he proposed putting in a tax increase anyway, with all of the money going toward the city's capital reserve fund — similar to a savings account, to be used for big projects.

"That fund has been underfunded … for several years," he said.

"We know that we have big projects coming up, so I think that we should have a modest tax increase and put that money back into a bank account for future projects."

The tax increase would bring in $437,000 in revenue, according to city administration.

Administration said no money was put into Yellowknife's capital fund last year, a move made to reduce the tax increase for 2018.

"We should be putting a little bit of money aside in general," Sharolynn Woodward, director of corporate services, told councillors. "Particularly right now, when we know there are some major projects facing you as a council."

Other decisions in the budget include $1.75 million to move forward with plans for a new pool, though that money is conditional. Council will need to approve details like construction plans and project timelines.

Plans to replace the cameras inside municipal enforcement vehicles were pushed back until 2020, saving the city $56,000, despite the city's meeting agenda saying the cameras were scheduled to be replaced in 2019.

The Trail Enhancement and Connectivity Project was also postponed to 2020; the project looks at how to better connect Yellowknife's trails.

Three jobs with the city have also been cut, including a climbing wall program co-ordinator, a park maintenance person and a Fieldhouse booking clerk.