Budget 2019-2021 presented

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The City of St. John’s released the details of Budget 2019, the first year in a three-year budget plan for 2019-2021.

“Revenues and expenditures are balanced at $304,677,022, up 2.4 per cent from 2018,” said Councillor Dave Lane, lead Councillor for the City’s Finance and Administration portfolio. “Our goal is to provide high quality services and valuable programs in a fiscally responsible manner, and we are pleased that we are able to present a budget that anticipates no reduction in services in this fiscal year.”

To present a balanced budget for 2019, the mill rate for residential owners will be set at 7.7, up .4 from the 2018 mill rate; commercial property tax will be based on a mill rate of 26.1, up 1.4 from 2018. Water taxes will increase by $25, from $580 in 2018 to $605 in 2019.

Key themes in Budget 2019 include sustainability, efficiency, continuous improvement, community connections and the economy.

As part of the budget presentation, Councillor Lane announced plans to develop a new sustainability Plan for the City of St. John’s. “Every decision Council makes impacts sustainability, today and into the future,” explained Councillor Lane. “The new plan will consider energy efficiency, protection of our wetlands and trees, density, the cost of urban sprawl and infill development incentives, among others.”

Operating efficiently and effectively without impacting services are key principles considered by Council in Budget 2019-2021. Feedback gathered through an unprecedented, year-long public engagement process was carefully considered, including opinions expressed through the City’s Satisfaction Survey, conducted early in 2018.

“We commit to residents and property owners our promise to manage their tax dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Councillor Lane. “Recognizing that costs will continue to rise over the next two years of this three-year plan, we will work diligently to ensure that any increases in tax are minimized and services are maintained.”


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