Snow Control Levy Boost Too High Says One Councillor
Prince George, B.C. – The City’s budget plan for 2014 would boost the snow levy to collect a total of $6 million dollars. This amount is expected to be enough to cover the costs in 2014 of snow removal, and have some left over for a reserve. The amount is also nearly a million more than what is currently being collected.
The problem is, that in 8 of the last ten years, the amount collected for snow removal has not been enough. This year, with a month to go, the snow removal budget is expected to be over budget again to the estimated amount of $529 thousand dollars.
Boosting the snow levy is one of the key factors driving the maximum 2.5% tax increase for 2014 accounting for 1.15% of that total anticipated hike. Councillor Dave Wilbur expressed some concerns on the size of that boost “”I am not saying I want to see the level of snow control diminished, but I am concerned about the percentage of increase going into the fund.”
Wilbur also wants to see a roll out of average costs per year to see if perhaps the increase could be cut back a bit in order to be more in line with the “average” cost.
Councillor Albert Koehler echoed that thought, saying he thinks the City is “over budgeting” for snow control in 2014.
The snow control levy was presented to Council as part of the explanation of the components of the 2.5% maximum increase in taxes. the actual snow remonval budget will be discussed when the operations budget is presented at the budget meeting set for December 4th.
Comments
I’d rather see my tax increase go into something like snow removal instead of raises for management at City Hall or a PAC.
I saw a Klein loader and dump truck working last night at the entrance to UNBC loading up some snow and carting it away. It was right at the main entrance on University Way so I am assuming that it is a public road and Klein was under a city contract. We haven’t had enough snow yet to worry about hauling a couple of piles away. Seems like waste to me.
There is also no need to come in the middle of the night (when the snow is already melting by itself) with front end loaders to prune street corners from 3 feet down to 2 feet when they are allowed to be as high as 8 feet and more during the rest of the winter! Seems like there is still a lot of money being wasted due to needless efforts being made!
“This year, with a month to go, the snow removal budget is expected to be over budget again to the estimated amount of $529 thousand dollars.”
WHAT??? It has snowed only ONCE so far and we are expected to be half a million over budget on snow removal. There is something very wrong with the budgeting process at city hall.
Next winter we could have no snow until January and we would probably be still be over budget for 2014. What?… the increase in snow accumulation from 10 cm to 12 cm not seeing any cost savings?
I seriously question money management at city hall.
2013 Snow budget includes Jan 2013, Feb 2013, Mar 2013… more than one snowfall People
“WHAT??? It has snowed only ONCE so far and we are expected to be half a million over budget on snow removal. There is something very wrong with the budgeting process at city hall.”
There is something very wrong with you understanding of what time period is being budgeted for.
City budgets run according to the calendar year – January to December.
In the case of snow, that means it includes parts of two winters.
Federal and provincial governments have a budget year of April 1 to March 31. If this city were to switch its budget year, most of the snow control would actually fall within one winter rather than parts of two winters. In addition, when we have the last year of a Council being in office, that Council would not be budgeting for the next Council.
Seems simple enough to me. I would like to know what is stopping them from making a relatively obvious change.
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Yes, the City continuously under-budgeted over the last ten years by 10%. The effect of that is that the shortfall comes from general revenues rather than earmarked accounts. The $6 million for this year is simply a reflection of that fact by Administration.
I do not know where the snow was being hauled away. If it is in sightline with the UNBC sign, I can understand it. That sign is was placed way too low for snow country.
Finally, many have called for the City to review its snow clearing methods, including some of the machinery they use to clear snow. The snow that is still piled in the middle of the streets is a safety hazard. In some cases, on four lane arterials, it actually cuts off more than 50% of the lane closest to the center of the road which makes it dangerous during rush hours when some of the vehicles in the right hand lane do not move over to the right, where there is plenty of space, to allow the vehicles travelling in the left lane to avoid the windthrow.
Go figure, every single organization I have ever worked for, or conducted business with, has a April 1st to March 31st fiscal reporting year AND budget year.
Who uses a calendar year any more?? Apparently our city does… I am beginning to understand just how backwards and f’ed up this city really is being run!
Gus you are absolutely right about snow ploughing costs being captured in one fiscal / budget year if they were to move to a April 1st to March 31st year. Wow, I am sorry I assumed a “normal” fiscal / budget year⦠but then again, nothing is normal about the way this city conducts it business.
I don’t have the words to express what I think about this new found revelation except:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7rqxI73oX2M/TWTOV3Aop4I/AAAAAAAAAF4/rkQrdTyXNtY/s1600/facepalm2.jpg
Years ago the City’s snow clearing budget was allowed a surplus if there was s low snow fall. The money was put in a fund for the years when there was a heavy snow fall. After 5-6 years it would balance out. Then someone with a bright idea decided that if the budget wasn’t spent in the year the department couldn’t not receive the same budget, they would only get what they had spent. So that is why we now have the City’s crews plowing pavement in the spring – just in case we don’t get enough snow in Novemeber & Decemeber to equal their budget.
By the way hauling snow away when it is melting at this time of year can prevent black ice, etc.
People #1… every single municipality in BC uses a Jan-Dec. fiscal year. Every one. PG is not that special!
So..? and almost every single city in the United States has a July1st to June 30th fiscal year.
Gus makes a good argument for changing the fiscal year to align with the Federal and Provincial fiscal years. The following article reiterates the reason why a city in Michigan is changing it’s fiscal year.
http://www.muskegon-mi.gov/how-changing-fiscal-years-benefits-the-city/
All of the lower mainland cities have no snow clearing budgets, we do, and I think splitting that budget over two fiscal years is ridiculous!
For a City that gets this much snow every year, we sure are bad at managing it. The plows are either not out fast enough, or they’re out at the wrong times, or we’re piling it in the wrong places.
So hikes aside. When the fiscal year is aside. Anyone actually crunch the numbers? Lets keep it super simple. Current budget $5,000,000approx. Lets say we get 6 months of snow. We don’t anymore but there’s snow around for around 6 mo. Oct to apr. 183 days. $30,000 a day is being spent on snow removal. Is it me or does that seem a little high? We all know there not out everyday but still. Well I guess it’s not when one gets a little perspective. Our city planner does get paid the same as a city planner down south. There only looking after a 250,000 people or so to our 75,000 on a good day. That and they need that big 60% increase for wages. So why not. Take your 6,000,000 to plow snow. Then take some more for the snow on my roof when it melts and drains off into my yard. Take some more to patch the roads for 3 months. Oh and repaint them lines every fall. Oh and don’t forget to take a little more to cover the poor planning on the infrastructure and letting that get behind. Although if you want anymore then that you might have I wrestle bc hydro for it because I’m quickly running out.
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