North Battleford is almost ready to bring down its budget and has set the dates for councillors to go over the 2012 operating budget and five-year capital plan.
Dec. 13 and 14 and Dec. 19 and 20 have been selected as dates for the budget deliberations. The Dec. 19 meeting would replace the municipal services meeting scheduled for that date.
All budget sessions are open to the public and will follow a similar format to meetings in the past, with a length of approximately two-and-a-half hours each. There is the possibility the sessions could be shorter if the progress is quicker than expected.
In a memo to council, Director of Finance Byron Tumbach stated their operating and capital budget document was close to completion and would be distributed to council Dec. 5, and posted on the city web site later that week.
The budget itself would be introduced at council Dec. 12, just prior to the budget deliberation meetings.
According to Tumbach's memo the budget document "where possible, incorporates the strategic direction provided by council in carrying out future programs and service delivery models."
The deliberations on the budget will go a long way towards determining what the city's spending and capital projects will be in 2012, as well as in setting the mill rate.
Final adoption of the budget, as well as the bylaws setting the mill rate, will be voted on in the new year.
