“2% Would Be Reasonable.” – Boshcoff

Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff says he doesn’t really have the stomach to see taxes increased in the city by more than two percent.

His comments come a day after the 2023 proposed budget was released by city staff, which has a 6.2% increase, whittled down to 5.58% after growth.

Boshcoff says terms like that confuse ratepayers.

“A tax increase is a tax increase, when you start adding things like before this and after growth, people go ‘What does that mean?’ What people want to know is ‘How much are my taxes are going to go up?’ You have to clear that thing up right away.”

Boshcoff is also taking issue with a proposed increase of 50.9 full time equivalent positions, noting the city cannot sustain continual hiring, calling the number horrendous.

He understands there are some roles that are mandated by higher levels of government and retirements that need to be filled. But he says when new positions are being put forth he has just one question and a prompt answer.

“Did our city grow by 15 percent? The answer is no.”

He believes the problem is rooted around the fact that Thunder Bay is being asked to address a region the size of a small country, and its people who are coming to the city as he puts it to be healed, protected or in some cases incarcerated.

During Wednesday’s budget unveiling City Manager Norm Gale called the 2023 budget, “the most difficult budget ever faced by a city council in the history of the city of Thunder Bay.”

Boshcoff isn’t convinced by Gale’s assessment and believes many councils during recessions and depressed times have faced more difficult budgets and have come up with modest increases.

“I have been on some of them and it really takes the will of council convincing administration to hold the line.”

Meanwhile other members of council are looking to come together to address each and every line item that is being presented.

“As far as strategy wise, I think we need all hands on deck,” said McKellar Ward Councillor Brian Hamilton mere minutes after the budget was released. “We’re going to need to have all eyes on this budget to hopefully bring it down to the most affordable that we can.”

Hamilton cites the fact the community has asked for a maintenance of service levels and a hopeful increase in capital spending.

At-Large Councillor Casey Etrini admits she initially looked at the first city budget she has been charged with overseeing as a councillor as overwhelming. But now is feeling confident going into the first set of meetings, and with that confidence comes questions she will have for staff.

“There’s a couple of things that I’d like to talk with city administration about. I don’t really want to speculate on those right here, right now, just because I want that background information first.”

Etrini adds she wants to see as much public participation as possible as the budget is deliberated over the next few weeks.

A list of ways residents can participate can be found here.