The auditors that conducted a $303,000 review of the city’s services presented their findings to Saint John council on Monday night.
The Ernst & Young City of Saint John Operational Review informed council’s $10-million in spending cuts made earlier this spring as part of the city’s sustainability plan, including the cuts which led to the closure of the Millidgeville fire station.
Monday night’s presentation included additional cost-saving measures and revenue generation models which could help the city improve its financial position over the next few years.
“We’ve already seen that the city has taken steps to start moving forward,” said Claude Francoeur, a managing partner with Ernst & Young.
In the presentation, Francoeur backed the need for tax reform, regional collaboration, and labour relations.
The report used Halifax, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Regina as benchmarks against which to compare the city’s service levels.
Mayor Don Darling said the difficulty for council is in finding a line between safety and affordability.
“It’s going to be incredibly important to drill in on all of these standards and all of this data,” the mayor said. “And to develop a plan moving forward that is not only safe but is affordable.”
