YORKTON - While the numbers are preliminary, the 2022 Year-End Report for the City of Yorkton shows a deficit of $123,036.
After a withdrawal of $148,000 from the COVID Safe Restart fund to cover losses at the Gallagher Centre, and $17,000 from the same fund to cover water park losses, and allocations to reserves of $75,000 to Recreation and Community Services and $80,000 to Planning and Building Services the deficit was $113,026, explained Jessica Matsalla - City Clerk with the city at the regular meeting of Council Monday.
The deficit will come from the city’s ‘Rainy Day Fund’ leaving a balance of $439,839, she said.
The biggest culprit in the eventual deficit was the snow that hit in 2022.
Overall public works experienced a deficit of $536,863, but snow removal and ice control was the big issue this year and were collectively over budget by nearly $1,010,660.
“This was a historic record for snowfall events in the year,” said Matsalla. “Typically the five-year average actual costs are used when budgeting for snow removal; and this record snow fall well exceeded that.”
The City did withdraw $277,750 that was remaining in the snow removal reserve account to fund this overage.
Protective service registered a deficit of $178,727.
“RCMP costs were net over budget by $132,000; while there were administrative salary savings of $57,000, revenues continue to be low from the backlog in the courts from COVID, offsetting these savings nearly completely. The remainder of the overage comes from increased contract costs, which were the result of many factors including the increased salary and equipment costs that came out of the negotiations; while we did budget for a $660,000 increase to annual costs, the actual came in higher than anticipated by $130,000,” detailed the report circulated to Council.
Matsalla also noted this does not include the retroactive police payment of approximately $1 million that is still to be paid.
On the positive side tax and grant revenue saw a surplus of $610,469.
Interest and penalties had a large surplus to budget of nearly $580,000; this was caused mainly by our interest earnings on our short term deposits, with interest nearly tripling during the year, explained Matsalla.
