The numbers continue to fluctuate as Timmins city council looks to finalize a reasonable 2017 budget.

But news coming over the last week is showing that they’re not close to setting anything in stone as of yet.  From waiting on ratios and funding applications to a reported $2.3-million dollar deficit from 2016, there’s a few factors council is considering.

And those decisions could sway the net expenditure increase to go from a 1.87% increase to 2.69%.

The rate is already going up after council passed a $300,000 motion to complete a feasibility study to redevelop the Golden Manor.

Other things include waiting on the province for a funding application towards the Hollinger grand stands and an option presented by Councillor Andrew Marks to stop Timmins Transit at 10pm for savings.

As for the actual timeline to pass the budget?

“We’re waiting for the education rates,” says Treasurer Jim Howie, who anticipates those numbers being released around April 10th.

Howie adds it also depends on how quickly the city’s lawyer can get the “Minutes of Understanding” over to local mines for a tax agreement.

“It might not take long,” he says, “The mines are willing to work with us, but they want to have something concrete to look at to see how it’s going to look and it’s got to be reasonable from their end, and be lawful from our end as well.”

That process, Howie says, should take another couple of weeks—unless something new comes up.

Oh, and as for that deficit—which has yet to be audited?  The city is covering it off with working funds.

But how did they get there?  Howie says a big factor was a shortfall in tax write offs, which skewed the numbers by over $3.1-million dollars.  Overall, the revenue budgeted in 2016 came in $1.8-million dollars under. (CLICK HERE for the summary.)

CLICK HERE to see the discussion from this week, under Items 4K and 4L.

Filed under: Local News