YORKTON - After choosing to separate the voting to accept the 2025 operating and capital budgets Yorkton Council still approved both at its regular meeting Monday.
The budget is broken down generally into two main areas: operating and capital budgets.
Overall the 2025 budget includes increases of 2.06 per cent for capital, and 1.84 per cent for operation, for a combined increase of 3.9 per cent.
As the City is not allowed to run a deficit, the budget contains a small forecasted surplus of $1,259.
The Capital budget is focused on larger, single capital items such as new city facilities, major construction, and other initiatives that are not recurring in nature, explained Ashley Stradeski – Director of Finance with the city in February.
The City prepares a two-year Capital Budget, which allows some lead time to plan out capital projects prior to execution with funding secured for the following year. This also allows for some flexibility on timing of projects and their associated costs, he added.
In the case of the Operating budget it is required for the general operations of the City, covering ongoing and annual costs for things such as snow removal, grass cutting, operations at recreation facilities, and everything the City typically does on a daily basis.
The City generally prepared a service level status quo budget as our starting point, said Stradeski in February. This means that costs reflected in the preliminary budgets for most departments are estimated to provide the same level of services to the residents of Yorkton as the year prior.
At Monday’s meeting Stradeski noted the entire budget report was posted to the City’s website, as well as advertised on our social media platforms, a news release and the local newspaper.
The public was encouraged to review the budget and provide any feedback, comments or questions.
Stradeski said eight comments were received via an online feedback form, adding he was not directly called, emailed, or visited in regards to the budgets.
The capital budget passed unanimously.
The operating budget passed, but not before concerns were raised, primarily over the document including the hiring of a communications person.
Councillor Quinn Haider said as a council they must be aware “of how many people we have working for us.” He said the city had a communications person but when they retired the position was not filled. He said the question now is whether there is enough work for a full-time person, then suggesting hiring a term person might be most expedient. With that in mind Haider said he was not in support of the operating budget with the communications position as a full-time one.
“I do echo Councillor Haider’s points,” said Coun. Dustin Brears, adding a term position would be a way for the city “to get our feet wet.”
Coun. Randy Goulden said with the competitive nature of attracting money from higher levels of government, having a communications person who can help prepare proposals is important.
Coun. Darcy Zaharia said he has concerns about taxes always rising, questioning “are we getting that increase in the level of service,” to match the increases?
“I say we’re not.”
Zaharia said moving forward cutting service levels will almost assuredly be required.
Ultimately, Haider and Brears were opposed to the operating budget.
