Fire budget cut for 2012
Posted Jan 19, 2012 11:35:17 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Kitchener budget is in the books, and it includes a tax increase of 2.39%, that will see the average Kitchener home owner pay an extra $22.81 on their property tax bill.
After debating for almost 11 hours, some of the budgets cuts made by councillors include; funding for the Kitchener Public Library and the Centre in the Square, as well as the city’s fire service. City council also voted in favour of a wage freeze for themselves in 2012, as well as an $11,000 dollar reduction to their collective home technology budget this year.
But perhaps the most shocking cut made, was to the Kitchener Fire Department. In an unprecedented move, councillors cut the fire budget by $204,000 dollars, despite a warning from Fire Chief Tim Beckett, that a cut could put firefighters and the public in more danger. “I’m disappointed in council’s decision today, removing an aerial device out of our compliment has potential to put the community at risk,” said Beckett.
Councillor Scott Davey who was one of the six members of council that voted in favour of the cut says everything needs to be considered when trying to lower the tax rate. “It was as I said at the council table, a decision that I did not want to make but I felt that I had to make. We have to look at the entire budget and the reality is, fire, represents 25% of our entire budget.”
Ward 5 councillor Kelly Galloway put things into perspective by saying the cuts made will only save the average household only $2 dollars on their bill. A noticeably upset Galloway said, “I’ve been around this horseshoe for five years now. This is the most disappointing decision ever because we just put our public at a greater risk.”
In order to get to the 2.39%, council voted on an amended motion put forth by councillor John Gazzola, to take $500,000 dollars from the tax stabilization reserve to help lower the tax rate increase. However that was only after councillor Berry Vrbanovic debated an original $900,000 dollar motion on the table. “I’m astounded. While I’m prepared to take some money out of stabilization to easy the burden onto the taxpayers this year, it needs to be sustainable, it needs to a method that gives us the ability to gradually continue finding savings in order to make it sustainable from a long-term perspective.”
