Majority of Program Review now Complete

Phase three of the City’s program review process is now complete, resulting in $7,066,624 in potential operating savings in 2017 and $7,060,141 in 2018. This brings the total, net operational savings from three phases of review to $13,263,649 for 2017 and $13,706,236 for 2018.

Savings come from a combination of FTE reductions as well as savings across such items as contractual services and materials and supplies as well as potential adjustments to revenue streams.

"Our attention now turns to preparing for the 2017 budget,” said Councillor Jonathan Galgay, Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Administration. “With just over $13 million in identified efficiencies, our focus shifts to incorporating these savings into the operating budget and ultimately determining appropriate mil rates.”

Seventy-six programs (or functional, budget areas) were included in this phase of the review, including programs in the following departments:

• Community Services (Service Centre, Parking, Recreation, Humane Services, Tourism, Events)
• The Office of Strategy and Engagement
• Planning, Development and Engineering (Inspection Services and Administration)
• Public Works (Parks, City Buildings, Traffic, Waste Management and Water and Waste Water)
• St. John’s Regional Fire Department
• Metrobus and Paratransit 

Although the majority of budgets related to waste management have been reviewed, waste collection itself is being done as part of the 2017 budget development process.
 
In total, FTE reductions for all three rounds is 71.73 for 2017 and an additional 2.58 in 2018 for an overall total of 74.31.

“As we announced at the start of the process, all changes for unionized employees have been held until the end of the process in 2016, so that work will begin now,” explained Councillor Galgay. “Within the next few weeks we will have a more complete picture as to how many individuals will be impacted by the review.”
 
Media Contact:
Kelly Maguire
Media Relations
City of St. John's
709-576-8491
kmaguire@stjohns.ca