Budget Likely To Be Adopted At Untelevised Meeting

If you were hoping for the City’s 2020 Operating and Capital Budgets to be adopted at a regularly televised meeting of Council you are out of luck.

At Monday evening’s regular meeting of Council a motion put forward by Councillor Brian Swanson to have the 2020 Budget adopted at a regular Council meeting was defeated in a 4-2 vote.

In speaking in support of his motion Councillor Swanson said under the Cities Act each year Council must adopt a budget and since it was a normal part of Council’s duties that the Budget should be adopted at a regular meeting as part of “a normal course of duties.”

The Councillor spoke about the format of this year’s budget and how eliminating Budget Committee had made the process lacked the proper latitude to properly discuss the budget.

“I know that it came as a surprise to some members of Council including me that every vote became concrete” he said adding only by tabling every item did Council get some sort of latitude as Budget Committee offered.

“This gives us the opportunity at the end to discuss the Budget in its final form.”

As part of his reason to move the final budget adoption to a regularly televised meeting of Council the low numbers of those who watched the City’s YouTube feed was used.

“The number of people who logged in numbered from two to 16…Shaw draws more,” Councillor Swanson said.

A look at the City of Moose Jaw YouTube channel showed 151 views of the November 27th meeting, 93 views of the December 4th meeting and nine views of the PowerPoint overview of the budget itself. The City advertised the special meetings being presented on its webpage but did not advertise the fact individuals could, if they so wanted, could make a presentation as they were Council and not Budget Committee meetings.

Councillor Swanson said he did not oppose the City’s efforts to livestream the meetings via YouTube or adopt the Budget before the New Year but it should be “something conducted as a normal course of action at a regular meeting.”

The motion was defeated 4 - 2 with Councillors Scott McMann and Swanson in favour. Councillor Chris Warren was absent.

The City did attempt to have Shaw Communications televise the special meetings but they declined as it would mean paying someone to operate the equipment for the telecast. As part of their CRTC license Shaw provides a certain number of hours of community programming to its viewers.

Editor’s Note - An informal count of the 2020 Budget stories show MJ Independent has so far published 14 budget related stories the largest number of any media in Moose Jaw.