The city is in for a challenging four years but the new term of city council thinks its up to the task.
The 46 th term of council was sworn in Monday night before returning mayor Keith Hobbs gave his inaugural address that laid out a long list of issues the councillors, 11 of them incumbents, are facing.
The city needs to continue tackling its infrastructure deficit and start doing a better job at addressing poverty, affordable housing, crime, racism and addictions issues. None of that can happen without help though. The federal and provincial governments need to be there.
"Many of these supports are outside of what a municipality can accomplish alone," he said."
While business taxes have been decreasing, Hobbs said he understands that many people have concerns about property taxes.
"It is time we examined how we can lighten the load on our homeowners," he said.
Spending and saving, especially with the city in the red already due to harsh winters, legal costs and other overruns, is going to lead to a hard budget season.
"It's going to be a real brutal year trying to put a decent budget together," Hobbs said.
"We may have to look at service cuts."
But Hobbs said if this term of council's strategic plan can build the city it wants to, there won't be any need for cuts to service and staff. Instead he wants a city that needs more of each.
At-large Coun. Frank Pullia said he wants to bring a new perspective to the table to make that happen.
"I think this council is ready, willing and able to tackle the issues," he said.
People are watching their water rates increase every year. Maybe it's time they get a break.
"I'd like to see water rates being frozen for the next couple of years until it gives people a chance to catch up," he said.
Small, incremental savings can go a long way at the end of the year, which Pullia will be looking for.
New Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch'ng said she's going to watch and learn for a while. But she wants to see the city invest in more programs like Shelter House's cold weather program, which helps people but saves the city money as well.
"I'm looking for efficiences like that that I hope to be a part of and make change," she said
