Halifax mayor unsure if attempts to keep budget costs down were successful

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore discusses the upcoming decision on the municipal budget.

As Halifax council prepares to finalize the budget next week, the municipality’s mayor is uncertain their efforts to keep costs down hit the mark.

“I think this is one of the most difficult fiscal environments that the council has had to pass in perhaps a couple of decades,” said Andy Fillmore in an interview with CTV News Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko on Wednesday. “It’s an extremely important budget.

“It was important to do everything we could to bring the costs of this budget down and I’m not sure that we were entirely successful.”

The budget, which has been the subject of debate for months at City Hall, was initially projected to have a 10.9 per cent increase to the average tax bill, but earlier this month additional savings changed that estimation to 9.3 per cent.

Fillmore said the recent rate increases from Nova Scotia Power and Halifax Water made efforts to bring down the budget crucial.

“I think we need to be having a serious look at the amount of money we’re spending on capital projects,” he said. “I brought motion after motion to reduce costs.”

In February, Fillmore brought forward two motions – one to chop the municipality’s Strategic Infrastructure and Climate Funding by one-third and the other to look at possibly reducing municipal wages and compensation over three years – in an effort to find savings.

Both motions were overwhelmingly defeated at council with Coun. Kathryn Morse calling the municipal wages motion the “the worst motion and the most chaotic budget I’ve ever seen.”

During the budget process, Fillmore also proposed an extra communications role for the mayor’s office.

“The mayor’s office staffing levels had been static since 2013,” he said.

Fillmore said he’s spoken with people across the municipality and many of them have told him they’re unhappy with the budget.

Council will vote on the budget on Tuesday.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Callum Smith

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