Mayor Don Darling describes Saint John as a mid size city with big city problems as the proposed 2017 budget gets the once over by all of Common Council. There were lots of questions posed about next year’s budget but very few objections.
Darling says it’s clear to him that the status quo is not good enough and he expects a growth plan for the city will be formulated by the end of March.
City Manager Jeff Trail argued against reducing the tax rate until that sustained growth is achieved year over year.
The city wil alsol be engaging a real estate professional to explore options for moving City Hall to a new location because of increasing costs which Councillor John MacKenzie described as huge.
Meantime, in Rothesay, a one cent increase in the tax rate next year is being contemplated.
