Public Information Session on Budget Preparation Planned

On December 7, 2020 the City of St. John’s will announce its budget for 2021.

Today, Councillor Dave Lane, Council lead on Finance, has released a video explaining the process Council used to prepare this year’s budget and to describe the unique challenges the current economic climate presents for the City.

“Preparing for the upcoming budget has been a challenging process, especially given the level of economic uncertainty the City is facing,” explained Councillor Dave Lane, Council lead on Finance. “While staff and Council have been actively preparing for the budget for several months, we are still -even at this late stage – considering options to present a balanced budget with as little impact on services and our residents and business owners as possible.”

Members of the public with feedback on the City’s finances and the current economic climate are encouraged to forward their thoughts to Council via email at communications@stjohns.ca. Questions and comments will be shared with Council, and on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. Councillor Lane will hold a live chat on the City’s Facebook page to respond to comments and answer questions.

“Over the past year, I and all members of Council have been listening closely to the feedback we get both formally and informally from residents and business owners about City operations,” said Mayor Breen. “All of those concerns and ideas are influencing our decisions, and we believe we have a plan for 2021 that will get us through the current deficit situation without overly burdening taxpayers.”

“We know that our fiscal challenges will continue into 2022 and beyond,” said Councillor Lane, “and we want the public to appreciate and understand the decision-making process, particularly as we prepare for engagement next year on future budgets.”