THUNDER BAY — Saying that residents are "furious" over the prospect of a property tax hike of six per cent next year, Mayor Ken Boshcoff wants to hold off filling any vacancies for non-mandated staff for the balance of the year.
He also wants city council to postpone hirings for any new positions proposed in the budget until 2024.
Boshcoff's request for a "hiring hold," which he plans to submit to council next week, comes two weeks after council approved a blueprint for next year's budget that includes substantial increases both to taxes and user fees.
This comes on the heels of a five per cent tax hike for 2023.
Council has been struggling to find ways to reduce costs next year through service cuts such as ones outlined in a report it requested from city administration.
"We were promised two million dollars in savings. It turns out that some of this stuff is contractual. Say, the bus to Fort William [First Nation]...well, the lawsuit would cost more than any savings you'd get on cutting the service," the mayor said Tuesday. "As this process continues, I'm just trying almost anything to try and save some money. Time will not only allow us to save money but really reevaluate some positions."
He said any jobs that must be maintained because of agreements requiring minimum staffing levels would be excluded from his proposed hold on hiring.
According to Boshcoff, "the reason the budget has been causing so much problems is we really haven't bitten the bullet. It's time. And I can sense the exasperation from many members of council. I'm not blaming administration. They're proposing things. But some councillors, almost everyone, has put something back in the budget. I'm proposing a way around dealing with monetary situations until you can finally come to a solution."
The mayor said that when people stop him in the street, "they're furious" about the looming six per cent tax hike.
He said he spends a lot of time "discussing what we're up against, and many of the valid reasons for some of the increases. But it all really comes down to council. As a group, as a collective, we make these decisions democratically. But I do believe it's hit the fan, so we really must be ready for tougher decisions."
City manager Norm Gale had not yet had a chance to review Boshcoff's statement, so was not immediately available Tuesday for comment.
Gale has previously cautioned that the city "cannot keep providing the same service levels and have the low inflation budget increases every year," and that cuts are required because of a "broken" provincial government funding model, the rising cost of emergency services such as policing, and council's interest in spending more on infrastructure.
He has also stated that the city is not top-heavy with managers, noting that it has an average ratio of one manager for every 15 employees.
