THUNDER BAY – A proposal to condense the City of Thunder Bay’s budget process is being welcomed as a path to greater efficiency, but it would also drastically slash the amount of time the public and city council have to review the document before it's approved.
In a meeting earlier this week, council voted to examine slimming down its budget process, which currently unfolds over four nights of detailed review, two public feedback meetings, and a final ratification vote, in addition to a closed-door question-and-answer session with city staff and an information overview.
Councillors suggested that puts the city out of step with other municipalities, and leaves council venturing too far into the weeds, haggling over minor details in departmental budgets rather than focusing on the city’s larger financial direction.
"We’re currently spending six to seven dedicated nights on the budget, which is probably more than most communities,” said Coun. Mark Bentz, who as budget chair had a hand in some of the proposed changes. “It can be confusing for the public, watching all these meetings – it’s a lot of work."
"And given the number of nights we spend on it, we get into minutiae and into the kitchen sometimes."
Bentz’s push found widespread support around the council table, which features five new faces who navigated the city’s budget process for the first time this year.
"I have to admit that our last budget process, I found very frustrating,” said Coun. Andrew Foulds. “A number of things unfolded… where I’m not sure there was a good use of our time.
"I found there wasn’t the kind of robust debate that we’ve had in the past. I’m hopeful that debate is permitted to occur... There are 13 people with 13 different views, and they’re all valuable, and I think they need to be heard."
"That debate is important, but if I may, I don’t want to spend three hours debating $10,000 of picnic tables. I think that’s perhaps what Coun. Bentz wants to get away from."
Coun. Shelby Ch’ng agreed.
"Other municipalities do their budget in one night, and they’re much larger than us – it kind of blows my mind, and I’m a little envious of them,” she said. “Not to say that we should aim for one night, but somewhere close would be nice."
City manager Norm Gale said he also supported a leaner process.
"I think council would be better positioned if it took a more strategic approach… and also a shorter approach that is less pedantic, perhaps – and still maintain council authority in setting the budget and giving direction, and also preserving public accountability."
Councillors said it would be important to preserve, and possibly expand, opportunities for public input even as council’s public deliberations might be cut back.
Still, the timelines under consideration would significantly shrink the window of time in which citizens and community groups can review the budget, understand its implications, and react.
In a suggested calendar presented to council on Monday, administration proposed releasing the budget to the public on Jan. 19, 2024.
That would leave the spending plan in the public eye for 25 days before council’s final ratification vote, down from 34 days this year.
Elected officials themselves would lose out on even more time to review the budget, receiving it on Jan. 15, 2024, nearly a month later than this year.
That would give councillors only 29 days with the budget before ratification, down from 50 this year.
Public review of the budget by council would begin on Jan. 30, with final ratification on Feb. 12.
Council referred the calendar back to administration for further review Monday, with a report due back by the end of June, but any changes seem likely to only shrink the timeline further.
Council directed administration to consider "an opportunity for the reduction in budget review meetings."
At the same time, council approved what the city calls its administrative budget calendar, the timeline on which staff across municipal departments assemble the proposed budget that is ultimately sent to council.
Staff said that process will be delayed by about a month to accommodate city council’s direction to find over $2 million in staffing and service cuts, with recommendations due in June.
Several councillors asked staff to consider more opportunities for public engagement around the budget on Monday, but a handful raised concerns over ensuring a safe environment for city staff.
"I do think we might set ourselves up for issues if we allow the public full access to a whole team of administration," said Coun. Shelby Ch’ng in response to a proposed public question-and-answer session with staff.
"There’s definitely a sentiment of anger that stems on borderline violence sometimes. People have been excessive, ignorant, rude, the whole nine yards – and it’s a very small group of people."
While the bulk of budget decision-making occurs in January and February, council will give staff important guidance over the summer, when the public can also provide input.
Council will receive a "budget directions" report in July, when it will have a chance to set guidelines for how staff prepare the 2024 spending plan. In the past, council has used the opportunity to set a tax hike target.
