The times, they are a-changing, as is the 2024 budget.
With the spectre of a 13.5 tax increase, council is going back over its budget and making changes.
After sending the Tumbler Ridge Public Library budget back to the library Board, as the previous ask amount was too high, council has approved a five percent increase to the budget.
According to a letter from the Tumbler Ridge Library Board Chair Trent Ernst (that’s me), the new budget would see the library’s budget rise to $425,362. “As per council’s suggestion during the meeting of April 4, this budget request is approximately a 5 percent increase to Library’s awarded budget in 2023,” says Ernst.
“We can appreciate the crisis council is facing at this time, due to unprecedented inflation; the cost of everything—wages, contractors, equipment—has gone up and unfortunately, cuts must be made and projects must be delayed. The Board carefully re-considered the library’s budget in its’ entirety and was able to suspend certain line items for 2024, with the hope of defraying these costs with external grants within this fiscal year.”
With increases to minimum wage, to employee benefits and to the cost of materials, the library’s costs have gone up sharply over the last few years. And, while last year council gave the library an 13 percent increase after previous council cut the library’s budget, it wasn’t enough to restore the library’s funding. The five percent for this year’s budget will allow the library to not lose any ground in 2024.
Councillor Noksana says she is disappointed that the library couldn’t hold their budget to what it was last year. “The reason behind my motion at the last budget meeting was we can’t afford a big increase this year to the library and my request was to see a budget more in line with what we gave them last year. Last year was around a 13 percent increase already, so I’m a bit frustrated.”
Councillor Gulick says the new budget would be $29,666 less than the previous proposed budget, or $19,064 over last year’s budget.
The mayor says the library trustees have submitted a budget as required by the Library Act. “We didn’t agree with the number brought forth at the previous,” says Mayor Krakowka. “We just need to debate it and move it forward. And if we’re not happy with this number, we need to put forward a number.”
Ultimately, enough members of council were happy with that number to have it pass. However, as the bylaw hasn’t been passed, and does not need to be past until May 15, there’s a chance that may change, as evidenced by the fact that council—having approved $26,250 for a Grant in Aid for the Grizzly Valley ATV club has withdrawn that funding.
That money was earmarked by the club to “support a dynamic marketing initiative, collaborating with renowned off-road powersports figures to capture backcountry adventures in and around Tumbler Ridge. This project aims to produce high-quality content for marketing ATV/SxS, motorcycling, and dirt biking, benefitting both the local community and the ATV club.”
That funding was approved at the previous budget meeting.
Council is still looking for ways to reduce the amount of money they are spending in this year’s budget in an attempt to reduce taxes (see story, page 4.)
Council also approved a $5000 one year Grant in Aid for the Lions Club of Tumbler Ridge to help run their Meals on Wheels program. The Lions had previously come forward asking for a three year Fee for Service from the District, looking for $10,000 this year, $11,000 next year, and $12,000 in 2026.
That request was rejected, so the Lions came back with a request for $5000 for one year, which was approved.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.