On Monday night Sackville town council had a chance to ask questions about the 2021 draft budget, as presented last week by town treasurer Michael Beal.
Beal had asked councillors to email questions in advance of the meeting so that he could prepare. Two councillors, Shawn Mesheau and Bill Evans, did so, with Mesheau sending in a long list of wide-ranging questions, covering everything from how much the town is making from rink rentals to whether or not gas tax funding can be spent on something other than paving roads. Specifically, Mesheau wondered if the funding could be used for sustainable energy projects for town buildings or fleet upgrades to reduce emissions.
Councillor Evans asked for more detail about future projected capital spending on plow equipment, which totals about $1.8 million over the next five years.
Councillor Mesheau asked for further details in a number of different budget areas, including the town’s spending on IT contracts and legal services, as well as areas where it plans to increase revenue, such as with the Bordertown festival.
Mesheau also asked about the proposed budget line for Climate Change initiatives. $25,000 has been allotted in the draft budget, along with another $10,000 for a summer student position.
CAO Jamie Burke said the specifics of what the summer student will work on, as well as what projects will happen under the initiative funding, will be decided and finalized once the budget has been approved.
In August, Richard Elliot of the Mayor’s Roundtable on Climate Change asked the town for a $25,000 contribution to a larger plan which included funding from other levels of government. Elliot presented plans for an annual budget of $125,000 in total funding, which included plans to hire a full time, dedicated climate change expert, to help steer the municipality’s planning, projects, and climate change initiatives.
Councillor Bruce Phinney expressed some concerns about spending $10,000 on a summer student, suggesting it might be better spent on implementing some of the roundtable’s existing ideas and plans. But Jamie Burke responded that the summer student funding was an attempt to give the roundtable access to personnel (though not the full-time expert they requested), in addition to funding for climate change initiatives.
Council will meet next Monday, November 2, 2020 for its monthly discussion meeting, and then again on November 9, 2020 for its regular council meeting, where its expected the budget will be passed.
The deadline set by the province for a final and approved town budget is November 15, 2020.
