Port Coquitlam residents asked the city to keep this year's tax bill as low as possible and staff have responded, putting to council a budget proposal with a 2.97% increase.
But the lower than anticipated rate hike does not come without some sacrifices.
Initial plans to hire three firefighters and two Coquitlam RCMP officers have been scuttled and the city has reduced the amount it is setting aside for infrastructure replacement funding from $250,000 to $140,000.
Funding for the Port Coquitlam Community Foundation was also reduced from $50,000 to $35,000 while money for the city's Sports Alliance was cut in half, from $30,000 to $15,000.
The changes dropped the 2012 rate increase from a proposed 4.77%, or about $90 for the owner of an average single-family home, to the current 2.97%, or about $55 per average home.
DOING 'MORE WITH LESS'
A $41 utility fee increase, much of which is set by Metro Vancouver, did not change in the revised financial plan.
"When went out for public input, we heard people say, 'Try and do more with less,'" said Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore. "We are trying to provide the same level of service with less funds. We are looking to other municipalities so we can see how we run our offices more efficiently."
Coquitlam, which shares RCMP service costs with PoCo, was not consulted on the decision not to chip in for two more Mounties, Moore said.
Historically, PoCo has paid for one officer for every two officers hired by Coquitlam, keeping staffing levels in line with the population differential between the two municipalities. But in recent years, Coquitlam has grown at a faster rate and Moore said it could be time to review the formula.
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said PoCo's hiring decision could potentially create an awkward situation between the two municipalities but added that he respected the neighbouring council's budgeting process.
"It creates a couple of challenges but we are going to have to work through them," he said. "Their budget is their prerogative."
Stewart added that it may be time for both communities to revisit the Crime Reduction Strategy, which included a 10-year plan to hire more police.
Moore defended the proposed budget, stating that more police staff does not necessarily mean a lower crime rate. He said the RCMP offers a high level of service and has used its resources effectively, which has reduced crime statistics in the municipality. With the crime rate on the decline in recent years, he said it was difficult for the city to justify adding new officers.
PoCo's decision to hire new firefighting staff was deferred in the budget, Moore said, in order to allow time for the city to complete its strategic review of the fire service.
The decision to reduce money set aside for the replacement of the city's aging infrastructure was also difficult, Moore said. Sustainable funding is a priority, he added, but staff and council needed to respect the input the public put forward during the budget consultation process. The city received more than 250 responses to its budget proposal, with the majority (200) coming from an online budget survey last fall.
The budget bylaw is expected to be passed at a special regular council meeting on April 30 before final adoption on May 14.
