Lloydminster has made some revisions to this year’s budget. City council has voted to reduce capital expenditure by $483,513 and increase operation expenditure by $395,301.
The budget, approved by council in November, included money for a number of incomplete capital projects from 2018. Those projects have been carried forward into the new year and will be finished with $1,431,950.65 from reserves. Meanwhile, the reduction in capital expenditure offsets the increase in operational expenditure, saving the city $88,212.
The budget balances out with the capital savings, according to Mayor Aalbers. The city’s administration brought the revisions to the council for a mandate on them, and to prevent the projects from being delayed until 2020. Aalbers is thankful that the city has brought this to the council and the transparency it provides on how money is spent.
“There’s always questions asked if that’s in our mandate or not. I think administration has given a very clear directive of where they want to be, and a direction they’ve received from council,” says Aalbers.
Some of the capital projects carried forward include work on the Parkview stormwater management pond, traffic light upgrades, a renovation to Fire Station #1 and lagoon desludging related to the wastewater treatment plant.