Budget preparations are underway in Saint John, and councillors have had the chance to give input.
Each councillor had the chance to discuss their priorities during a recent council meeting.
Coun. Barry Ogden said he would like to see taxes lowered in the 2025 budget.
“It’s money coming out of people’s pockets for food, for gasoline,” Ogden told his fellow councillors.
Meanwhile, several councillors touched on the importance of growth readiness in the upcoming budget.
Coun. Joanna Killen said the city needs to ensure it has a level of service for the vast growing population.
Fellow Coun. Brent Harris said they need to frame this budget as one for capacity building.
“When we’re talking about moving into a world where we know growth is going to be assumed, there’s no other municipality in this country that can offer the quality of life and the affordability factors that we do in Saint John,” said Harris.
Coun. David Hickey agreed that the city needs to keep up with the growth that it has been experiencing.
He said they also need to advocate for the social impacts they are seeing, such as homelessness, and work toward implementing their housing strategy.
Meanwhile, Coun. Paula Radwan said it is important to oversee how encampments are being run and to look at using city lands for growth.
The budget will come before council in the coming weeks.
