Final Budget Meeting On The Tube

By 250 News

 The City of Prince George  will head into its final budget meeting  Wednesday at 4:30, and this time it will be televised.

Shaw Cable has agreed to provide live coverage of the session which will  start with the Finance and Audit Committee's proposal to add a 4% boost on your taxes  for road rehabilitation.

Although it isn't unheard of for Shaw to provide coverage of a budget meeting, it isn't something that has been done in recent years, and even more rare to happen on a Wednesday. 

Mayor Colin Kinsley says  he placed the request to Shaw for the coverage "The coverage is important because of the debate on the Finance and Audit Committee's request for the tax levy for road rehabilitation" says the Mayor. The debate will see Councilors wrestle with a plan that would  put a 4% boost on taxes. 

There are four options up for discussion:

• A) stay the course and make no changes, but  carry the cost of borrowing money to pay for the repairs
• B) add a 4% tax levy to property taxes to  set up a  road rehab reserve
• C)add a 2%  tax levy this year,  and 2% next year
• D) add 2% this year,  1% next year, 1% in the following year.

"Council wanted to keep the public involved and aware of what we are doing. This is to keep the process transparent" says the Mayor who also offered praise for Shaw.  "It isn't easy for them to provide this kind of coverage but we are grateful  that when we asked,  they agreed to do it in the interests of keeping the community informed." 

The coverage of the debate on the road rehabilitation levy begins at 4:30p.m. Wednesday, February 28th on Shaw Cable 10.

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