Operating Budget Records Surplus

Robert Thomas

How much money does it cost to operate services in the City of Moose Jaw?

If you think it’s in the millions you are correct; but it’s far more than even that; It's actually in the tens of millions of dollars.

In the 2017 Financial Statement the General Revenue Fund is highlighted with what Revenue flows in and what Expenditures flow out. The General Revenue Fund is what finances the Operating Budget. The Operating Budget is one of three budgets Council is presented at budget time which are the Operating, Capital and 10 Year Unfunded Capital Budgets.

In 2017 the City recorded a modest Operating Budget surplus of $202,170 with actual revenues of $45,697,981 and actual expenses of $45,495,811. The surplus has been deposited into the Accumulated Surplus Reserve Fund.

In 2017 the City took in $45,697,981 with the largest contribution being municipal property taxes of $25,062,084 or 55 percent of all revenues.

Despite concerns about cutbacks from the Province, transfers were the number two source of City revenues making up $9,953,427.

The third major source of funding for the City was Recreation and Community Services which brought in $1,607,549 to City coffers.

On the expenditure side, the City spent $45,495,811 with the majority spent on "protection of persons", which is the Moose Jaw Police Service as well as the Moose Fire Department; amounting to $18,286,350 or 39 percent of all City expenditures.

The second largest expenditure for the City was Recreation and Community with $9,138,112 spent amounting to 25 percent of all City expenditures.

The third largest expenditure was Public Works with $4,395,636 spent or 17 percent of all expenditures.

In 2017, the majority of revenue and expenditure areas were close to budget with these exceptions:

• Licenses & Permits revenue was approximately $220,000 less than budgeted due to parking meter receipts being less than budgeted.

• Fines & Penalties revenue was approximately $320,000 less than budgeted due primarily to reduced revenues from Automatic Speed Enforcement.
• Public Works expenditures were approximately $325,000 under budget due to reduced expenditures related to snow operations.
• Recreation & Community Services came in approximately $460,000 over budget
due to increased costs in a number of areas including Recreation ($160,000); Art
Museum Maintenance ($60,000); Library Maintenance ($70,000); Service Centre
($25,000); Cultural Centre Maintenance ($60,000).
• Provisions for Reserves and Allowances was approximately $600,000 less than
budgeted due to 2017 salary provisions being distributed as salaries to the various
cost centers rather than being recognized in this area.
It also needs to be noted the largest expenditure in 2017 was on capital works not included in the Operating Budget.