Planning for 2018’s budget is underway in the Town of Prescott.
During this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting Councillor Teresa Jansman and Treasurer Mathew Armstrong presented a power point that outlined project requests made by councillors and front line, public works staff. Earlier this summer the council was asked to list projects they would like to see the town take on in the future. This year the request was also extended to the public’s work staff so needs that may be seen less often by the council also have a chance to be addressed.
Armstrong praised the level of detail in many of the suggestions, especially those coming from public works staff. One example was the staff suggestion that the town buy dedicated salt and sand bins for municipal buildings so a truck doesn’t need to be driven wherever salting is needed.
The next step in the process will see councillors and public works staff narrow their focus. Armstrong will split the requested projects into big and small, then the council and staff will be asked to pick the five big budget projects they feel most strongly about. This will allow Armstrong to price fewer requests, while providing a better idea of what the council believes is most important.
When asked about his picks Mayor Brett Todd said he was pushing for a lot of smaller projects but the Splash Pad and LED lighting in the marina both sprang to mind. Armstrong explained that items listed weren’t guaranteed funding in 2018 and that just because projects weren’t selected to be worked on during the upcoming budget didn’t mean they would be forgotten about. Projects not selected for the 2018 budget would be kept on file for future consideration.
