The city of St. John’s is seeing positive growth, both with the economy and the population.
There’s good news on construction starts and employment too. Mayor Danny Breen is cautiously optimistic, but says there are still challenges ahead.
NTV’s Jodi Cooke has this report.
After recent cases of vandalism, the city of St. John’s is spending more than 60,000 dollars to have evening security at both Bowring Park and Bannerman park.
NTV’s Rosie Mullaley has the story.
It was a busy year in the province’s capital city. NTV’s Bailey Howard sat down with St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen to discuss 2022 and what’s in store for the new year.
St. John’s City Council released the details of Budget 2023 on Monday, which includes measures to address inflationary pressures without increasing property taxes.
The 2023 Budget for the City of St. John’s is balanced at $333,282,356, an increase of 4.3% over 2022.
Mill rates for residential and commercial property owners stay the same in 2023 as in 2022: 8.3 mills for residential and 26.9 mills for commercial. Water tax, however, will increase by $45 and commercial water usage rates will rise 7.1%. All revenue from water tax directly funds the provision of the service.
To address a projected deficit, the City will use $6.1M in savings from previous years.
“Inflationary pressures being felt in the community are also impacting the City as an organization,” said Coun. Ron Ellsworth, the city’s finance lead. “We cannot hold the line on inflation, but we can use savings achieved from prudent fiscal management in previous years to help bridge us through this year’s expenses without increasing the property tax burden on residents.”
Being in a position to address a deficit without increasing property taxes comes from prudent fiscal management and a focus on using tax dollars wisely. The City continues to work aggressively to find ways to operate more efficiently.
“Council is committed to keeping our human resources costs under control and focusing on stability,” Ellsworth said. “Our goal for 2023, as always, is to provide the best quality municipal services possible. This budget allows us to maintain levels of service and make small investments that will stabilize the services that matter most to residents and businesses.”
Investments in 2023 include:
21.24 additional full-time equivalents (FTEs) are budgeted for 2023. These new positions ensure we continue to meet the growing demands the following areas: snow clearing, waste collection, water services, fire prevention, animal care, sustainability, transportation engineering, planning, parking enforcement, asset management, privacy and City buildings.
Along with the budget, Council approved fee increases in Recreation programs and services that help to deflect increases in overhead costs for facilities, materials, staffing and transportation. Approximately every three years, staff complete a thorough review of the fees charged for Recreation programs and services and rental rates. Fee increases for 2023 are in line with or below the fees charged for similar programs offered privately or by other municipalities, where possible.
Read the full list of fees and access all budget materials for Budget 2023 at StJohns.ca.
A well-known heritage building in the east end of St. John’s was destroyed in a massive fire overnight.
The destruction of Baird’s Cottage has sparked a new debate about heritage properties, with the mayor saying the city needs to work with owners to make sure buildings are maintained.
NTV’s Beth Penney reports.
Residents in a St. John’s neighbourhood that suffered damage from post-tropical storm Earl are upset to learn the province will not provide compensation for their rebuilding efforts. NTV’s Marykate O’Neill has more.
Residents in St. John’s are a little less satisfied with programs and services provided by the city, as well as their overall quality of life. That’s according to the City’s 2022 Resident Satisfaction Survey.
The number of electric vehicles on roadways in Newfoundland and Labrador is growing. To meet demand, the city of St. John’s launched a number of new public EV charging stations today. NTV’s Beth Penney has more.
After the success of their Christmas house last year, urban market planned to do it again at a new location on Lemarchant Road.
But almost as fast as it opened, the business was forced to close its doors.
The Christmas House announced on social media they were shut down by the City of St. John’s today after opening their doors November 1st.
November 20th is National Child Day. The city of St. John’s is holding a number of free events to mark the day. Here’s NTV’s Beth Penney with Your Community.
