Four more Mounties, four additional firefighters and an expanded arts centre.
Those were among the big items Coquitlam city managers put forward this week as each department made its case about how to meet ambitious work plans with limited tax dollars.
On Monday, council will weigh funding wants and needs at a day-long internal workshop, figuring out how best to handle the pressures in the ever-growing city within a $284-million budget.
The department heads' wish lists came a week after the city released its Ipsos Reid poll that showed Coquitlam residents this year are willing to pay more property taxes than see city services cut.
Still, the annual survey goes against what many home and business owners said last month during the council byelection campaign and at a town hall meeting: Property taxes in Coquitlam are too steep.
With a year to go before the next general election, councillors are anxious to rein in city expenses and nervous about raising rates.
On Tuesday, planning GM Jim McIntyre was the first in the line of fire to field questions about his proposed budget for next year. Council focused in on "net-zero requests," 23 of which are before council for consideration for staffing and projects.
As explained by treasury officials, "net-zero" means "at no cost to the taxpayer" - that is, department heads have to find the resources within their existing budgets to pay for new items.
The explanation of the accounting procedure set off some councillors, who questioned the transparency of the numbers.
Coun. Lou Sekora accused city managers of "fudging the budget" by shuffling around the cash to pay for new requests. And, as in past years, Sekora called for zero-based budgeting - a process in which each budget would start from scratch, not build on previous years.
Other councillors wondered aloud how the city could afford to do more, should the economy and housing market slow.
McIntyre said his new requests come at a time when the planning department is struggling to make ends meet. This year alone, his department processed 145 development applications and 848 building permits, translating to more than $312 million in construction value.
He said adding a new subdivision and development technologist is justified as more - and more detailed - applications are filing in.
As well, the city wants to use fewer consultants because it's easier to do the work in-house, city manager Peter Steblin said.
McIntyre said Coquitlam is in an enviable position with its development revenues and is competing well with other high-growth zones like Brentwood and Metrotown in Burnaby, and Surrey City Centre.
McIntyre said he wants to introduce new fees, and raise others, (totalling $157,600 more per year) to offset expenditures.
The topic of net-zero requests also popped up in other department presentations, including parks (which wants to convert two positions to regular full-time); engineering (more staff and infrastructure upgrades); and Coquitlam RCMP (conversion of contract work to auxiliary).
Supt. Claude Wilcott, head of Coquitlam RCMP, told council he wants four more Mounties at a cost of $582,000 while Fire Chief Wade Pierlot is asking for four new firefighters to complete the staffing levels at the new Burke Mountain fire hall, which is not yet built; his request comes with a $341,000 price tag.
The department of strategic initiatives is also asking for a 1% tax hike for each of the next four years to create a new "facility periodic component replacement fund" (to pay for roof and boiler upgrades).
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, cultural groups went before council to give an overview of their programs and to make their pitches.
Coquitlam Public Library, which on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the opening of the City Centre branch, wants $104,457 for union contract hikes plus $31,000 more to service the Pinetree Way facility, which is three times larger than the old city hall location it replaced.
Place des Arts showed its $2.5-million wish list, which included more staff, music studio soundproofing, a consultant and $1.5 million for pre-construction work for an expansion.
And Evergreen Culture Centre asked for $101,000 for capital projects, including $80,000 for a facility development assessment.
Coquitlam city council is expected to give the first three readings of the 2014 budget on Dec. 2, with final adoption on Dec. 9.
How the proposed $284-million budget would be spent:
engineering: $68 million (26%)
planning: $7 million (2%)
strategic initiatives: $4 million (1%)
city manager: $5 million (2%)
council: $1 million (0%)
casino: $8 million (3%)
deputy city manager: $67 million (24%)
cultural groups: $7 million (2%)
fiscal services: $19 million (10%)
parks and rec: $27 million (10%)
capital: $71 million (20%)
Coquitlam's 2014 priorities:
Evergreen Line
Burke Mountain fire hall
covered dry-floor sports facility
Riverview visioning process
tourism program
expanded wifi and cell networks
bailey bridge dispute resolution
major transportation upgrades
parking structure (business case)
solid waste collection contract
parks and rec master plan
YMCA partnership
sponsorship and naming rights
Burquitlam/Lougheed neighbourhood plan
housing affordability strategy
industrial zone update
WHO DOES WHAT
City manager's office
Department head: Peter Steblin
Staff: 898 FTE
What is it? The office oversees eight departments: city manager; deputy city manager; engineering; strategic initiatives; finance services; parks; planning; and clerks
Deputy city manager's office
Department head: John Dumont
Staff: 365 FTE
What is it? The office oversees nine departments: deputy city manager; fire; police; economic development; legal/bylaw; corporate planning; human resources; communications; and IT
Coquitlam Fire/Rescue
Department head: Chief Wade Pierlot
Staff: 180 (including 154 firefighters)
Revenues: $200,000
Expenditures: $23 million
What is it? The department handles six divisions: fire chief administration; communications; prevention; suppression; training and education; emergency program
Coquitlam RCMP
Department head: Supt. Claude Wilcott
Staff: 213 RCMP, three provincial officers and 98 city staff
Revenues: $5 million
Expenditures: $31 million
What is it? The detachment oversees several areas including operations, traffic services, general duty and criminal intelligence
Strategic initiatives
Department head: Maurice Gravelle
Staff: 30 FTE
Revenues: $1 million
Expenditures: $4 million
What is it? The department is responsible for four divisions: administration; facilities planning and construction; land and properties; and Evergreen Line team
Planning and development
Department head: Jim McIntyre
Staff: 66 FTE
Revenues: $5 million
Expenditures: $7 million
What is it? Planning is responsible for four divisions: general manager's office; community planning; development services; and building permits
Parks, rec and culture services
Department head: Raul Allueva (acting)
Staff: 278 FTE
Revenues: $8 million
Expenditures: $27
What is it? Parks oversees five areas: general manager's office; parks; planning and business services; major recreation facilities; and community recreation and culture services
Engineering and public works
Department head: Jozsef Dioszeghy
Staff: 115 FTE
Revenues: $62 million
Expenditures: $68 million
What is it? The department oversees six divisions: general manager's office; design, construction and customer support; infrastructure planning; public works; transportation planning; and environmental services
