Watch the video above: Saskatoon city council 2014 budget wish list
SASKATOON – Some people thought this year’s city budget was missing priorities and councillors are fired up heading into 2014 budget deliberations.
Scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, budget discussions give councillors the opportunity to add or remove items from the 2014 plan and its proposed 7.26 per cent property tax hike.
There are items some councillors say are a must this year.
“They want residential snow removal,” said Ann Iwanchuk, Ward 3 city councillor.
It’s something Iwanchuk advocated for last year but it didn’t pass and residents were left in with ice ruts.
Sending a snow plow down every residential street one time comes at a cost of about $600,000. Administration is recommending two clearings annually.
This would not include hauling the plowed snow to a dump but Iwanchuk says it’s a good start and she’ll be pushing for it during deliberations.
“I’ll be reminding council about what happened last year and the environment we live in and about what citizens have been telling us,” she said.
Councillor Eric Olauson would like to see more sound attenuation walls, an issue residents in Ward 8 have made clear they’d like addressed.
“If you can’t sit in your back yard, have a conversation with your neighbour or your family, or your kids that becomes a big issue,” said Olauson.
The main priority is along College Drive. The sound attenuation wall stops short of Central Avenue, leaving residents dealing with traffic noise identified as one of worst in the city.
“What I’m going to propose is that we take the top ten projects, worth about $19 million, borrow the money and pay it back over ten years,” said Olauson.
With the hockey season underway, Councillor Troy Davies says a need for more ice time has been identified.
He wants to get the ball rolling on a new multiplex arena.
“Build a six or eight rink complex and include a hotel and retail,” said Davies.
Davies doesn’t expect the concept to be accepted in full during budget talks but would at least like to see some money allocated for research as to where such a facility would be best suited and how large it should be.
If the current proposed tax hike is approved, property owners with a residence assessed at $325,000 would pay an extra $105 dollars annually.
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