City Council to gain first look at 2021 Budget planning tonight

City of PR CFO 
Corinne Bomben 

Tonight makes for show time for the City's Financial Officer Corinne Bomben, who will deliver the Finance Department's blueprint for 2021 and beyond tonight with the annual Budget presentation.

With COVID-19 once again lurking the background as one key factor towards revenues from the last year, how the city plans to navigate their financials for the year ahead and whether Prince Rupert residents will be asked to dig a bit to help out, could be one of the themes for the night ahead.

If she follows past precedents, tonight's presentation will provide a review of the services offered by the City of Prince Rupert, challenges facing the city, Budget requirements for the year ahead and how those requirements may impact on the city's taxpayers.

Last year despite some strong impacts of the coronavirus, the city announced that it was still on track for a balanced budget by years end, tonight the CFO may outline just what measures may be required to ensure for the required balanced budget status for 2021.

The 2020 version of the budget relied a bit on financial contributions from the City's Legacy fund and revenues from Watson Island that may be a resource that the CFO taps this evening as she charts the path ahead towards finalizing the financial plans for the year ahead.

Last year, Council was pleased to receive word that there would be no increase to the residential mill rates for 2020, residents of the city will be waiting for word if that history will repeat itself, or if the need to increase the rates will required as the city looks to introduce new measures and continue with its vision planning into the future.

With the City still operating with COVID measures in place, residents may also learn how any consultation process will move forward. 

As it currently is, there is no allowance for public attendance at City Council sessions, which in the past has allowed for the public to comment on the budget process.

And to this point, City Council has still not been able to work out how they would like to move forward with community engagement options during this unusual period for municipal governments coping with the pandemic.

It's indicated on the City's Agenda for tonight, that Ms. Bomben's Budget planning notes and additional information, will be added to the Agenda Package following the 7PM session.

For more notes related to this evenings City Council session see our Council Preview here.

As the 2021 Budget Process moves forward, the notes we accumulate along the way will be archived here.

A wider overview of past Council Discussion themes is available here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.