Meagre budget increases for police, fire and many departments and growing fear about Saint John’s financial sustainability.
That discussion unfolding at the Common Council finance committee meeting on the proposed 2019 budget.
Chair David Merrithew tells CHSJ News they got into this deal with the province where they will give the city $8.9 million dollars this year.
“At the same time, they said ‘we’ll give you that funding but you cannot go and do what you must do to rightsize your budget that is, cut jobs or services. You can’t do that’.” Merrithew says.
Merrithew says they are stuck with this gift that will put them on the edge of the cliff.
Finance Commissioner Kevin Fudge says “our sticker price is higher than our competitors and 86 per cent of our business is restricted.”