When the budget was presented in January, it reflected a nine per cent tax rise. To find ways to reduce the burden on taxpayers, council looked for help from the Finance Review Task Force that has, after an intense eight-week process, come up with an interim report that includes a list of 26 items for potential budget adjustments. Karen Blow, the municipality's chief financial officer, has taken that list under consideration and presented a revised budget to council on April 10. In this budget, the tax rise sits at 2.9 per cent.
At the beginning of the meeting, councillor Wolfgang Duntz took a moment to acknowledge the task force's work. "I want to thank the members of the task force for the excellent interim report," he said. "From one of the very first meetings, I felt that I don't need to worry, that they will figure [the finances] out." Duntz added that he asked the task force members whether they thought the Bowen Island Municipality is financially viable and, as an answer, received a conditional yes. Mayor Jack Adelaar joined Duntz in praising the work but cautioned that there was more to be done.
Blow said that she also enjoyed working with the Finance Review Task Force. "I found it very refreshing and have incorporated most of their recommendations," she said.
The task force looked at the budget with the goal to limit the tax increase to three per cent and set out recommendations such as deferring the appointment of a permanent CAO, deferring to hire additional library staff, re-allocating time within planning department, reducing the recreation expense budget, reducing the library expense budget and reducing community grants.
The task force also identified potential revenues like business licences and sponsorship and donation opportunities to fund youth and recreation programs. It also identified a list of cost savings measures, among them the paring down of funds to be added to reserves. The task force came up with a total of $602,300 of potential savings.
Blow said that she knows that sources of revenue are important but they may take some time to develop. She added, "From the [task force's] recommendations to enable the 2012 budget, there are only a few I have not included." Among the items that Blow has not taken into account are the reduction of recreation expenses and the reduction of library expenses (although an additional library staff person is not under consideration at this time).
Blow also did not act on suggestions to cut contributions to the civic facility fund, rockfall protection and the fire protection reserve. She added, "But at [council's] request, I will make further changes." Another item that Blow has left in the budget is the Tunstall Bay boat launch and she was asking for guidance on whether council wanted to proceed with the project.
Blow added that the 2.9 per cent tax rise does not include the proposed increase in the solid waste parcel tax that was suggested because of the extra trips to pick up greenwaste and the renegotiation of Bowen Waste's contract. Councillor Cro Lucas stated that the solid waste parcel tax is likely to come to a 0.5 per cent tax rise.
