The city of Lethbridge’s economic standing policy committee made several personnel decisions Wednesday, recommending multiple positions be included in the upcoming draft budget.
One of the larger items would add 10 non-permanent, full-time parks employees for green space maintenance.
That recommendation is intended to maintain current service levels.
“I think people pay tax dollars with the understanding that parks are going to be maintained to a certain extent and I think they deserve that,” said councillor Ryan Parker.
If approved, the added positions would add 0.1 per cent to property taxes, with the funding in 2025 and 2026 contingent upon a review after two years.
The SPC also recommended hiring two airfield maintenance specialists to meet revised Transport Canada regulations, which require 24-7 staffing at the Lethbridge Airport.
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Two other positions, a traffic signal and lighting technician and a traffic safety engineer, are also recommended.
Those four jobs would all be funded by property taxes, adding roughly 0.07 per cent to taxpayers’ bottom lines.
The SPC is also putting a pair of transit initiatives on hold while the city manager reviews the system.
Eliminating transit fares for people 65 and older and those 18 and under, along with budgeting for anticipated increased Access-a-Ride demand will be postponed until 2024 while that review is completed.
Event support program funding was voted down. $82,500 a year from taxation would have been used to create a mid-sized event grant.
One of the biggest items on the deliberation schedule has been postponed to Thursday morning.
Lethbridge Police Commission and Service budget initiatives will begin Day 4 deliberations at 9:30 a.m.
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