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City finishes year $2.2M overbudget

Transit, snowplowing budgets finish deep in the red, offset by surpluses in other departments
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Greater Sudbury spent $2.3 million more than expected plowing the city's roads last winter, and transit/fleet operations came in $1.36 million over budget, says a report headed to the finance committee Tuesday. (File)

Greater Sudbury spent $2.3 million more than expected plowing the city's roads last winter, and transit/fleet operations came in $1.36 million overbudget, says a report headed to the finance committee Tuesday.

Those overages were partially offset by better-than-expected results in other departments, such as waste management ($1.33 million under) and fire services ($500,000 under.)

The total deficit is $2,201,479, and will be covered by three reserve funds: winter control ($1.6 million), library reserve ($186,592) and the tax rate stabilization fund ($414,887).

The report offers details of why each department was over or under their budgets. The Sudbury Transit over expenditure of $480,000, for example, is largely a result of much higher-than forecast maintenance costs and a drop in fare revenue of $275,000 because of a decline in ridership. 

The fleet over expenditure of $880,000 is primarily due to higher vehicle repair, replacement parts and contracted services costs, “largely a result of fleet vehicles remaining in service beyond their useful lives, and damages to department fleet vehicles.”

Reduced user fees from ski hills and leasing revenue from arenas and community halls cost another $200,000, while staffing costs at the same facilities was $110,000 higher than forecast. 

On the positive side of the balance sheet, lower-than-expected salary costs saved EMS services $250,000, fire services $330,000 and social services $380,000. 

See the full report here


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Darren MacDonald

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