Residential property tax bills in Port Coquitlam will go up 1.49% this year, a jump of $29 for an average single-family home.
But city councillors say if they were not tucking away cash to pay for a new recreation complex and long-term infrastructure work, taxes would have likely gone down, like they did last year.
On Monday, council unanimously gave three bylaw readings to the $91-million budget - a document that council said was shaped on the overwhelming feedback from residents.
Last month, the city received more than 800 responses to the draft financial plan, including 1,100 requests for improvements, Coun. Darrell Penner said.
Coun. Mike Forrest commended the community for its involvement, noting the city has struggled in the past to get public input. As a result of the feedback, he said, "we have sharpened our pencils a lot" to accommodate demands.
"We worked very hard and we're lifting up every stone to look for savings and efficiencies," Mayor Greg Moore said after the meeting.
Among the efficiencies are $675,900 in savings, including:
$400,000 to modify funding sources for the RCMP contract to include prior-year surpluses from vacancies;
$164,700 to absorb base inflation increase costs into existing budgets;
$40,700 to reduce maintenance of sports fields that see low use;
$36,700 to reduce the library materials budget;
and $33,800 to reduce the human resources legal budget and the development services consulting budget.
Also not on the list are more Mounties for this year; by contrast, Coquitlam, which shares a detachment with PoCo, has hired six for 2015.
"We looked at the crime statistics and it's hard to justify putting more money into RCMP at this point when your crime rate is either decreasing or staying flat," Moore told The Tri-City News.
In a statement, Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Claude Wilcott, said: "The Coquitlam detachment is dedicated to providing a quality service to the citizens of Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra and will continue to do so working in partnership with the respective mayors and councils. We are also committed to work with our municipal partners to determine resource levels and make best use of the resources we have."
Meanwhile, as part of its 2015 budget, council also set aside $2.76 million in one-time enhancements, paid out of surpluses and reserve accounts. They include:
planning, designing and public consultation for the new recreation complex ($1.5 million);
chafer beetle control on city lands ($104,200);
purchase of a city-owned May Day float ($55,000);
exterior decorative lighting for city hall ($75,000);
Christmas lighting for the Coast Meridian Road and Prairie Avenue area ($40,000);
review/update of DCC bylaws ($40,000);
additional costs for fire hall #2 renovation ($70,000);
demolition of the Fraser Health Authority-leased building on Wilson Avenue ($200,000);
and additional cost for the waste cart lock program ($141,000).
Coun. Dean Washington, who chairs the city's new budget subcommittee, said council is making strides "in the right direction" with its finances and looks forward to making next year's budget more reader-friendly so more residents can get involved in the plan.
Final adoption of the 2015 budget is scheduled for the April 13 city council meeting.
@jwarrenTC
