Second Phase of Program Review Complete

The second phase of the City’s program review has identified a potential $4,705,612 in savings for 2017, increasing to $4,876,239 for 2018. This figure represents more than eight per cent of the total budgets of the programs reviewed.
Thirty one programs (or functional, budget areas) were included in this review, including:

• All of Corporate Services
• Five program areas in Planning, Development and Engineering
• Administration, Roads and most Parks programs in Public Works
• Administration in Community Services 

These figures include the elimination of 19.90 full-time equivalents, achieved through a combination of vacancies, attrition, reduced hours, layoffs and reduced staffing in spring and fall seasons. Staff whose positions are impacted by program review have been notified. Total FTE reduction through the first two rounds equates to 24.73 FTEs in 2017 and 27.06 for 2018.

“To date, we have identified over $6.25 million in efficiencies for 2017 and $6.7 million for 2018,” said Councillor Jonathan Galgay, Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Administration. “The final review group for 2016 which will come forward in October includes approximately 75 program areas which, when combined with phases one and two, will constitute nearly three quarters of all programs to be reviewed.”

The remaining programs will be reviewed early in 2017 with results expected in March.

Following Budget 2016-18, the City introduced a new comprehensive departmental review process to analyze every service and program within the organization, including St. John’s Sports and Entertainment, Metrobus, and St. John’s Regional Fire Department, to determine which programs and services should remain and in what form, given current fiscal restraint.

“This has been a very challenging process for staff, management and Council, but it is clearly a necessary one,” said Councillor Galgay. “We are committed to ensuring that public resources are used efficiently, and we are confident that this process will result in a more efficient and effective organization for the future.”

Media Contact:
Kelly Maguire
Media Relations
City of St. John's
709-576-8491
kmaguire@stjohns.ca