Councillors order overtime reduction

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This article was published 05/02/2024 (591 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Among the changes made to city administration’s proposed 2024 budget during Saturday’s budget deliberations was a mandate from city council to reduce overtime by 10 per cent from all departments, excluding the Brandon Police Service and utility staff.

The discussion over this motion was lengthy, with some councillors and representatives from administration expressing concern that limiting overtime would lead to service reductions.

“I’m pretty sure this will mean service-level reductions,” city manager Ron Bowles said.

Other councillors pointed out that overtime figures continue to rise year-over-year despite new staff being hired.

An initial motion proposed a 20 per cent overtime reduction, but it was eventually cut in half.

Another cost-saving measure was a successful motion to reduce budgeted consulting fees by 10 per cent.

Coun. Bruce Luebke (Ward 6) successfully passed a motion to have the construction of a police impound lot merged with the purchase of a second office building for Brandon Police Service, but a related motion to eliminate a $300,000 appropriation related to the impound lot in this year’s budget was defeated.

Coming into Saturday’s deliberations, council was presented with a list of housekeeping motions that made their tasks both easier and harder.

Adding to the city’s costs were items like funding for four police cadet positions, aimed at replacing private security in downtown Brandon, had not been included in the original budget at a cost of $165,000. Funding for a further three cadets to serve as transit security at a cost of $123,750 had also been omitted.

As previously mentioned in the Sun, this year’s budget also includes funding for 16 new paramedics — of which 15 are being paid for by the province — five new police officers and four new support staff for police.

Extra funds the city has received and was able to put towards this year’s budget included approximately $3.9 million in strategic infrastructure funding provided by the provincial government in early August and an operating surplus of around $800,000.

Administration provided four possible uses for that infrastructure funding, which must be spent by the end of 2026: a contribution towards the southwest lift station project, covering most of the cost of $4 million in Sportsplex upgrades in this year’s budget, a split between funding the transit reserve and contributing towards the Sportsplex upgrades and a split between putting money aside for potential upgrades associated with the Civic Services Complex and the Sportsplex project.

While the city’s insurance policy is covering the cost of returning the Civic Services Complex to the state it was in before it was damaged in a natural gas explosion last September, accounting manager Troy Tripp and general manager of operations Patrick Pulak told council that there may be opportunities to implement some upgrades and some elements may need changes to match current standards, which would be done at Brandon’s expense.

However, Pulak added that the extent of these upgrades and additional repairs are not yet known.

Speaking to reporters after budget deliberations wrapped up, Mayor Jeff Fawcett said using the provincial funds on the Sportsplex doesn’t impact the 2024 budget, but it will save the city more than $500,000 in borrowing costs in future years.

An MNP report issued in December on the city’s financial sustainability had recommended that Brandon hire a full-time grant writer to pursue additional funding opportunities from higher levels of government.

Coming into Saturday’s deliberations, administration was proposing that a new executive assistant to the mayor would instead assist in the city’s efforts to secure grants.

Council ultimately disagreed with that position, voting to eliminate $100,000 in funding for a communications contract and then approving $50,000 in ongoing funding for a grant writer.

A defeated motion suggested putting $100,000 towards a grant writer, but Coun. Shawn Berry (Ward 7) pointed out that amount was unlikely to be needed as the city must still hire for the position and it’s unknown when that staff member would start work.

The last dregs in the city’s COVID-19 restart reserve were drained, with funds being directed to expand funding to the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation and the Brandon Downtown BIZ, sending the rest of the balance to the newly established fiscal contingency reserve.

The remaining funds in the Eighth Street Reserve were transferred to the city’s active transportation reserve.

The 2024 budget also includes funding for the southwest lift station project, the southeast drainage project, continued construction on the Outdoor Sports Complex, continued upgrades to the water treatment plant and more.

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