Help the Hamper Fund: Altrusa (right) came through, now you need to as well News A12
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City budget: tax hikes, service cuts or both KRISTEN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
ALISTAIR TAYLOR/THE MIRROR
What a relief effort 99.7 The River radio personality Dave Reynolds is all smiles after Campbell Riverites came through with enough donations to fill two River Relief Trucks and a third that was sent to Gold River. Reynolds had been living in the trailer since the beginning of December. His supporters proudly proclaimed on Friday that the relief truck had reached $1 millions in food donations in the three years it has been operating.
City errors attributed to staff turnover KRISTEN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
A high turnover of city staff is contributing to mistakes that
have been singled out by city council, according to the city manager. “It is my view that the high turnover of staff over the last
term is contributing to many of the staff ‘errors’ council has noted,” Andy Laidlaw said in a report to council. The most recent notable error
was in a report from Ron Neufeld, the city’s manager of operations, when he reported that the city had enough funding available to Continued on A3
The city is facing a shortage of more than $500,000 in next year’s budget and that figure could be on the rise. The 2012 budget largely hinges on Catalyst. Andy Laidlaw, city manager, said Catalyst has requested a reclassification of its former Elk Falls mill property from the major industry tax class to the business/other tax class. “If the BC Assessment Authority does reclassify the site there will be further reduction in city revenues for 2012,” said Laidlaw in a report to council. At the end of budget deliberations in March 2011, city staff projected a 2012 budget deficit of $1.85 million but the outlook has improved. As of Dec. 1 the deficit now stands at $550,000 based on continuing service levels as is, but it does not include any possible reduction in the amount of taxation from Catalyst. “Current budget projections are based on continuing the 2011 service levels adopted by council,” Laidlaw said. “Management has been instructed to budget with a zero per cent increase in all costs other than those which have been contractually negotiated.” Laidlaw said less than anticipated increases in the RCMP conContinued on A3
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