HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN-07-090 - 2008 Budget Focus Groups
~
Report To:
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
Mayor Carl Zehr and Members of Council
September 17, 2007
Pauline Houston, General Manager of Financial Services &
City Treasurer
Dan Chapman, Director of Financial Planning & Reporting
All
August 31, 2007
FI N-07 -090
2008 BUDGET FOCUS GROUPS
RECOMMENDA TION:
For discussion
BACKGROUND:
On May 28, Council directed staff to assemble focus groups to discuss potential budget
reduction options. The focus groups expanded upon the results of the 2005 Environics survey
which identified low priorities for future spending. This report summarizes the findings of the
focus groups and requests Council's direction with respect to specific areas warranting
preparation of detailed budget reduction proposals as part of 2008 budget deliberations.
REPORT:
The City held six budget focus groups with citizens and staff between July 5 and July 19, 2007.
The objective of the focus groups was to explore in detail the areas that were identified as low
tax-based spending priorities in the Environics survey of citizens (refer to Appendix "8") to
assess the feasibility and specific nature of budget reductions in these areas. In addition, the
focus groups presented an opportunity to gauge acceptance of tax and fee increases as well as
discuss other potential budget reduction strategies.
External Focus GrouDs
Three external budget focus groups were held on July 5, 2007. The 28 participants were
selected by the facilitator to ensure balanced representation from all six City wards and six
population segments as defined through the "Who Are You Kitchener?" process. The detailed
findings are found in the facilitator's report attached as Appendix "A". As outlined in the report,
seven service areas were frequently identified by participants for budget reduction as follows:
. Communications - identify more efficient ways to provide information (e.g., online)
. Support for associations/sports groups - reduce level of unconditional funding
. Your Kitchener Market - convert the property to a more profitable use
. Traffic control - reduce number of studies, impose costs on developers, increase TDM
. Leaf collection - increase education related to composting, use drop-off bins
. Condition of sports fields - increase levels of volunteer/community/team involvement
. Grass cutting - ensure equipment and labour resources are used efficiently
Participants in the focus groups did not generally support eliminating specific services entirely,
but rather recommended alternative ways of delivering services to reduce costs. When
reminded that suggestions of this nature have significantly less budget reduction potential than
complete elimination of service areas, several participants expressed support for property tax
increases in excess of inflation to ensure that quality of life is maintained at current levels.
As another property tax mitigation option, participants identified the following service areas for
additional fee increases:
. I ndoor sports
. Swimming pools
. Galleries/Theatres
. The Kitchener Auditorium
. Provision of licenses and registrations
There was a consensus that overall fee increases in excess of the rate of inflation could be
tolerated in support of a move to full cost recovery, provided fees remain competitive and do not
exclude marginalized population segments. This lends support to Council's direction for fee
increases at a rate of 6% in 2008.
Internal Focus GrouDs
Internal focus groups were held on July 19, 2007. The three groups were comprised of a total
of 27 employees, including Bramm Street outside workers, the Employee Advisory Committee,
and City Hall staff members. The findings from these focus groups were consistent with the
external groups in several areas, including:
. Communications - need to identify more efficient ways to communicate with citizens
. Leaf collection - potential to reduce leaf collection expenses by increasing the use of
drop-off zones
. Grass cutting - potential to reduce turf maintenance budgets by increasing the level of
naturalization on city-owned lands
. User fees - support for increased user fees in order to move fee-supported operations
towards full cost recovery
In addition, staff identified a number of opportunities to improve efficiency in the use of City
equipment, in road maintenance operations and through the use of information technology -
examples include:
. Review winter maintenance standards to increase proactive plowing and reduce salt
use, sand use, accident claims and the need for rental equipment such as graders
. Improve the ability to transfer vehicles between yards and work locations as needs arise,
to improve responsiveness and reduce the demand for rental equipment
. Implement telecommuting to reduce office space requirements as well as impacts on
transportation and parking infrastructure
Staff members also discussed the potential to increase budget control measures. Although
there were no significant opportunities for savings through increased efficiency identified, these
specific suggestions have been referred to the City's senior leadership team for consideration to
help achieve future base budget targets.
CONCLUSION:
The budget focus groups provided an insightful opportunity to explore the service areas
identified by citizens in the Environics survey as having potential for budget reduction. The
focus groups demonstrated that citizens are generally supportive of existing service levels, and
many are willing to pay more in property taxes to preserve the quality of life in Kitchener. Where
reductions were supported, they generally focused on alternative ways of providing service in
order to reduce costs. This limits the potential for significant budget reduction as no complete
service cuts were supported. Participants were comfortable with implementing fee increases in
excess of inflation as a property tax mitigation strategy - which is consistent with Council's
budget guideline for 2008. The balance between increased user fees, modest service level
reductions and increased property taxes is consistent with the findings of the Environics survey
and "Who Are You Kitchener?" process, which found that citizens supported funding new
initiatives through new revenues (31 %), spending reductions (31 %) and increased taxes (25%).
This report and related appendices provide detail with respect to the focus group discussions.
Staff requests that Council give direction with respect to specific areas warranting preparation of
detailed budget reduction proposals as part of 2008 budget deliberations.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None at this time
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix A - Qualitative Research on Minimizing Tax Increases (Quarry Communications)
Appendix B - Description of Service Areas
Pauline Houston, CA
General Manager of Financial
Services & City Treasurer
Dan Chapman, CA
Director of Financial Planning
& Reporting
Submitted to:
Prepared by:
Date:
CITY OF KITCHENER
Qualitative Research on Minimizing Tax Increases
Final Report
Michael May, City of Kitchener
Quarry Integrated Communications Inc.
August 10,2007
u
City of Kitchener
Summary of Findings
Three velY productive focus groups were held to obtain information from Kitchener citizens that will
help guide decisions regarding potential service alterations to avoid tax increases. They provided the
city with a list of the services on which citizens would feel comfortable cutting or reducing
expenditures, and a list of services for which they would recommend user fee increases. These two
lists are provided below. Importantly, the group discussions also resulted in numerous ideas for how
the expenditure reductions might be achieved. This information is shown below under Key Findings.
I. Services Receiving the Most Votes to Cut or Reduce
Across all three groups there were seven services that received at least II votes for cutting or
reduction. In descending order they were as follows (see Table I for the full detail):
. Communications (19 votes)
. Support for associations/sports groups (14)
. Your Kitchener Market (14)
. Traffic control (12)
. Leaf collection (12)
. Condition of sports fields (II)
. Grass cutting (II)
2. Services Receiving the Most Votes to Increase User Fees
Again, across all three groups there were a small number of services that stood out, in this case as
having potential for increased user fees. The top five in descending number of votes were as follows
(see Table II for full detail):
. Indoor sports (17 votes)
. Swimming pools (16)
. Galleries/Theaters (14)
. The Kitchener Auditorium (13)
. Provision of licenses and registrations (11)
City of Kitchener
When asked what percentage increase in fees would be fair, respondents felt 5% was a reasonable
number. In general, they were in favour of having users bear more of the burden of maintaining the
service, but did not want the fees to be increased so much as to make them prohibitive to those on
lower or fixed incomes.
In the third group we also suggested, and received broad agreement, that the objective should be to
raise fees to a level that would bring revenue for a service as close as possible to making it self
sustaining.
Objectives
The overall objective of this study was to obtain feedback from citizens on how the city might best
manage the reduction of potential future property tax increases by cutting or reducing identified
service areas, and/or by raising user fees for some of those same services. The sample of citizens
was to be representative of all six wards and from the six segments identified in the 2005 Compass
Kitchener Study conducted by Environics.
Methodology
This study was conducted via three focus groups with a total of 28 respondents on July 5, 2007. All
six wards and all six segments were in fact represented. In addition, there were a nearly equal
propOliion of men (13) and women (15).
Recruiting by segment was achieved by requiring respondents to indicate their level of agreement to
a series of statements that, based on the Environics Study, would place them in one of the six
segments. Group 1 included Small Town Stalwarts and Small Town Protectors, Group 2 included
Community Activators and Urban Promoters and Group 3 included Fringe Dwellers and Suburban
Stability Seekers.
Importantly, we were seeking respondent feedback in the form of specific ideas and inputs on not
only which services could be cut or reduced, but also specifically how those cuts/reductions could be
achieved.
In each group we had a representative of the City present highlights of the city budget with
projections of the tax increases that would be required in 2008 and beyond if spending reductions are
not put in place. Respondents were then handed a list of 21 service areas, as detelmined by a
City of Kitchener
previous study, and asked to mark each one as a service that should be cut (eliminated), reduced in
spending, maintained as is or have its user fee levels increased.
Once respondents had completed this task and given us their choices, we selected the five services in
each group that received the greatest number of votes for cuts and reductions. Each of these five was
discussed in detail on the basis of how the cuts/reductions could actually be achieved.
Key Findings - How to Cut or Reduce Services
The following summaty lists the more frequently mentioned ideas for each ofthe 7 services that
received the highest number of votes for expenditure cuts or reductions. Note that the Detailed
Findings section provides a complete list of their votes and inputs.
Communications
. The City produces many Leisure Guides and delivers them to our homes. That's not necessary. Many
ofthe people never use them. Instead we can pick them up at community centers, libraries, go to the
intemet, call an information phone number noted on tax bills
. Pick up the information at the swimming pools or rinks
. Include the monthly schedules in the monthly utility bill envelopes which are already being mailed out
. Those not using the intemet can phone to request the mailing
. Make people have to call or respond to a one-time mailing to get the newsletter, then only those who
really want it will get it
. Most of the information is in the telephone book anyway
. Charge more for the ads in the newsletter
. Make copies available at the library or the community centre for people to pick up
Note that the point being made by the groups was not to suggest reducing the amount of communications,
but rather that the city should look at more efficient ways to provide that information e.g. online, at
community centres and libraries etc.
Support for Associations/Sports Groups
. Have the groups provide a business plan that shows how they can work toward self sufficiency before
giving them any money
. Support them on a matching funds basis so they have to contribute some of the money they need.
Then they will likely be more cautious with their spending
. These groups should have their own fund raising events
. Don't give money to the same group every year. Give it to them every second or third year. Tell them
that up front. Avoid situations like the symphony that lost money year after year. The organization
has to find ways to keep itself going.
City of Kitchener
Your Kitchener Market
. Don't need it - we have the St. Jacobs market
. People are so busy that they don't drive into town to use it
. Increase the parking to make is more accessible for people
. Move it to a more downtown location where there is City Hall parking already, not the fringe area
where it is
. Re-develop the property and move it. It's an ugly building. Turn the property into a more profitable
Trame Control
. Find ways to use fewer people and more technology
. Less money spent on consultants. City installs traffic-calming devices that don't work, then takes
them out and puts in another device that does work. We need to learn to do it right the first time
. Survey the neighborhood to do it right for that specific neighborhood
. Lower the speed limits to calm the traftic instead of putting in speed bumps, and let the police monitor
the traflic
. In Bridgeport they have been studying it for years with no action
. The roundabouts are too small and just don't seem to work
. Have the contractor build the traffic control devices as part of servicing the streets at the time of
building the development
. Add the cost to the developer's fees for building the subdivision
. Some of the new developments are just too congested, the four lane roads nanow to two lanes and stop
all of the tratlic. Build the roads big enough to begin with. Think further ahead
. Think of ways to get the cars otlthe road with more public transit and more bike paths that are safe,
places to lock up your bike, more car pool lots
. Get the delivery trucks off the road during the day - make them deliver at night
Leaf Collection
. Set up bins for leaves, recycling and garbage at central locations for people to drop off instead of
picking it up at individual houses
. Have neighbors put their garbage in one common place, or one side of the street so the truck has to
make half the stops
. Have people mulch their leaves
. Educate people to put their leaves in bags rather than sweep them into the street
. Encourage people compost them into their lawns and gardens
. Sell the compost that the city has, by the bag
City of Kitchener
Condition of Sports Fields
. Kids and other users should volunteer to help maintain and clean up the fields. Same is true for the
parks.
. "Adopt a field" - get ball clubs and others to sponsor a field, maybe a month at a time - maybe paying
a portion of the city cost to cut the field
. Get a corporation to adopt a field
. Get kids to cut people's lawns or shovel their snow, wash their car, walk their dog, with the money
going to the ball field or park
. Have the kids collect beer and wine bottles and donate the money
. Encourage users to pay with their time instead of their money
Grass Cutting
. Have the city or a subcontractor use a large tractor rather than a standard mower so it's done more
efticiently
. Find other, more etlicient ways to get the lawns cut
. Organize everyone in the neighborhood to cut a section of their park each week
. Increase student hiring to do the seasonal jobs at lower rates
City of Kitchener
Detailed Findings
Table I
Respondent Votes to Eliminate or Reduce the Service Area
Service Area Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Totals
1 Condition of Sports Fields 3 6 2 11
2 Property standards 1 3 3 7
3 Traffic control 6 4 2 12
4 Cemeteries 5 1 2 8
5 Street lighting 4 1 5 10
6 Support for associations/ sports 2 9 3 14
groups
7 Parking enforcement 5 3 1 9
8 Indoor sports 1 3 1 5
9 Provision of marriage licenses 1 2 1 4
and birth/death registrations
10 Signage 3 4 1 8
11 Business licensing 1 -- 1 2
12 Grass cutti n g 3 6 2 11
13 Swimming pools 1 1 -- 2
14 Street sweeping 1 4 4 9
15 GallerieslTheaters -- 5 3 8
16 The Kitchener Auditorium 3 4 -- 7
17 Communications 6 9 4 19
18 Crossing guards -- 2 3 5
19 Your Kitchener Market 7 5 2 14
20 Indoor ice rinks 1 4 -- 5
21 Leaf collection -- 6 6 12
Totals 54 82 46
City of Kitchener
Table II
Respondent Votes to Increase Fees in the Service Area
Service Area Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Totals
1 Condition of Sports Fields 1 2 4 7
2 Property standards 1 3 1 5
3 Traffic control 1 1 2 4
4 Cemeteries -- 2 1 3
5 Street lighting -- -- -- --
6 Support for associations/ sports 2 3 3 8
groups
7 Parking enforcement 2 -- 2 4
8 Indoor sports 6 6 5 17
9 Provision of marriage licenses 4 6 1 11
and birth/death registrations
10 Signage -- 4 1 5
11 Business licensinq 6 1 2 9
12 Grass cutti n g -- -- 1 1
13 Swimming pools 4 7 5 16
14 Street sweeping 2 -- -- 2
15 GallerieslTheaters 5 3 6 14
16 The Kitchener Auditorium 4 3 6 13
17 Communications -- -- 1 1
18 Crossing guards 1 -- -- 1
19 Your Kitchener Market -- -- 4 4
20 Indoor ice rinks 4 3 3 10
21 Leaf collection 2 -- -- 2
City of Kitchener
Table III
Group 1 - Ideas on cuttinglreducing
Traffic Control
. Use fewer people and more technology via cameras
. Less money spent on consultants. City installs traffic calming devices that don't work, then takes them
out and puts in another device that works. They need to learn to do it right the first time
. Survey the neighborhood to do it right for that specific neighborhood
. Lower the speed limits to calm the traffic instead of putting in speed bumps, and let the police monitor
the traffic
Cemeteries
. Increase the user fees
Parking Enforcement (already in a surplus position)
. Issue parking passes good for 30-day periods
. Make the downtown maximum meter time more than 2 hours
. Have more designated spots for the handicapped
. Increase the parking ticket rates so the spaces tumover more quickly and we increase revenue at the
same time
. Make the existing parking garages more safe, better lit, more accessible for handicapped
Communications
. The City produces many Leisure Guides and delivers them to our homes. That's not necessary. Many
people never use them. Instead we can pick them up at community centers, libraries, go to the intemet,
put an information number on the tax bills
. Pick up the information at the swimming pools or rinks
. Include the monthly schedules in the monthly utility bill envelopes which are already being mailed out
. Those not using the inte111et can phone to request the mailing
Your Kitchener Market
. Don't need it - we have the St. Jacobs market
. People are so busy that they don't drive into town to use it
. Increase the parking to make it more accessible for people
. Move it to a more downtown location where there is city hall parking already, not the fringe area
where it is
. Re-develop the property and move it. It's an ugly building; turn the property into a more profitable use
City of Kitchener
Street Lighting
. Tum them on later, and off earlier
. Power them with altemative energy (e.g. solar power)
. Don't decrease the number of lights - safety issue
. Use more energy efficient bulbs
. Use a renewable energy source, be a leader in becoming an environmentally friendly city
Privatize the Market and Cemeteries
. Sell them to someone who can operate at a profit, then the city gains the tax money on that profit
. Cemetery - Great as long as they do a good job of maintaining it much like Mount Pleasant does in
Toronto
Increase User Fees
On indoor sports, marriage licenses, swimming pools, business licenses, galleries, theaters
. Increase fees by about 5%,
. Treat each one separately based on what its deficit is currently
. Be careful not to exclude people because the fees get so high
. Keep the fees competitive with the other cities in the region
. Give people a tax benefit for paying the user fees
Group 2 - Ideas on cuttinglreducing
SpoliS Fields
. Kids and other users volunteering to maintain and clean up the field. Same for the parks.
. Would be great if they could cut the grass as well, but there may be liability issues if someone got hurt
. Adopt a field - get ball clubs and others to sponsor a field, maybe a month at a time - maybe paying a
p0l1ion of the city cost to cut the field
. Get a corporation to adopt a field
. Get kids to cut people's lawns or shovel their snow, wash their car, walk their dog, with the money
going to the ball field or park
. Have the kids collect beer and wine bottles and donate the money
. Offering services vs. just selling more chocolate bars
. Users paying with their time instead of their money
City of Kitchener
Associations and Sports Groups
. Have the groups provide a business plan that shows how they can work toward self sufliciency before
giving them any money
. Do it on a matching funds basis so they have to contribute some of the money they need then they will
be more cautious with their spending
. These groups should have their own fund raising events
. Don't give money to the same group every year; give it to them every second or third year. Tell them
that up fi'ont. The symphony lost money year after year. The organizations have to find ways to keep
themselves going.
Grass Cutting
. Have the city or a subconu'actor use a large tractor rather than a standard mower
. Find other, more efficient ways to get the lawns cut
. What if everyone in the neighborhood organized to cut a section oftheir park each week
. More student hiring to do the seasonal jobs at lower rates
Communications
. Direct people to the web site or telephone number, then you can stop printing and distributing the
newsletters. Most people throw them out anyway then the city has the expense of picking up the
recyclables
. Make people have to call or respond to a one-time mailing to get the newsletter, then only those who
really want it will get it
. Most of the information is in the telephone book anyway
. Charge more for the ads in the newsletter
. Make copies available at the library or the community centre for people to pick up
Leaf Collection
. Set up bins for leaves, recycling, garbage at central locations for people to drop off instead of picking it
up at the individual houses
. Have neighbors put their garbage, etc. in one common place, or one side of the street so the truck has
to make half of the stops
. Have people mulch their leaves
10
City of Kitchener
Group 3 - Ideas on cutting/reducing
Traffic Control
. Design the control method so it actually works the first time
. Ask the people on the street for input as to what will work. They go ahead and do what they want,
then have to change it later when it doesn't work
. The planning department is doing the wrong studies or copying another city's method
. In Bridgeport they have been studying it for years with no action
. The roundabouts are too small and just don't seem to work
. Have the contractor build the traflic control devices as part of servicing the streets
. Add the cost to the developer's fees for building the subdivision
. Some of the new developments are just too congested, the two lane roads nan-ow to two lanes. Build
the roads big enough to begin with. Think further ahead
. Think of ways to get the cars off the road with more public transit and more bike paths that are safe,
places to lock up your bike, more car pool lots
. Get the delivery trucks off the road during the day - make them deliver at night
Street Lighting
. Use the new energy efficient bulbs
. Remove every other light
. No lighting on the freeways
. Tum them on later and shut them off sooner
. Evaluate individual streets in terms of the need for lights - reduce them or eliminate them
. Tum more lights of I at night in the Aud and other city buildings or tum them of I altogether earlier
. Use motion detector lights
Street Sweeping
. You don't need to sweep all streets, some are generally clean anyway, e.g. Cul-de-sacs, dead-end
streets
. Wait until people complain, or the street really needs it
. Ifthe winter is mild they put less sand down so it may not need sweeping
Communications
. Provide most of the information on the internet
. How many people really use the Leisure guides?
. Have posters in the community centres, libraries and the local schools instead where the people are
. Have a stack of them at the community centre
. Put a card or flyer in the tax bill and other envelopes the city is sending us anyway
. Combine more mailings into one to pay the postage only once
11
City of Kitchener
Leaf Collection
. Educate people to put leaves in bags rather than sweep them into the street
. Encourage people compost leaves into their lawns and gardens
. Add more central collection locations and inform people where they are cunently
. Educate people on how to compost and how to dispose of their leaves
. Sell the compost that the city has, by the bag
User Pay
. Goal for the user fees should be to bring the revenue up closer to the amount budgeted
. Good except when a very small minority are using the service then the fees may have to be so high that
nobody will use the service
. Consider eliminating some of the facilities that aren't used very much and increase the capacity of the
ones nearby, or direct people to a more efficient pool
. Study the services (e.g. pools) that are working well and apply those lessons to the ones that aren't
. Solicit corporate sponsors to pay the maintenance in facilities
. Get users to help maintain the fields
. Maybe increase the rental fees for equipment at the pools
. Increase the age at which you pay lower fees to 60 or 65 instead of 55
. Maybe some of the facilities aren't well used because the demographics have changed in the
neighborhood
. Look at all the pools to be sure they are being run as efficiently as possible
. For the arts, offer more packages or season tickets
. Get some help from Waterloo and Cambridge
. Give Kitchener residents a discount over people from other cities
. Accept the fact that private enterprise does some things better than govemment and privatize them
. Kitchener Auditorium - find ways to make it used more often - more events, more concerts
This group (Group 3) was much more comfOliable with higher tax increases than the other groups.
They said:
. "It adds to quality of life"
. "It means more people can afford to go to the venues because the fees will be lower"
. "We don't mind paying more taxes if the city is being as efficient as possible." "The
taxes are reasonable."
. 'The city offers a lot that others don't."
12
City of Kitchener
Summary
This was a very valuable exercise for the City. The focus group method allowed us to probe the
ways in which citizens would go about cutting or reducing services. This was exactly the type of
infOlmation the City was seeking through this process. Further, many of the respondents in the
groups commented that they felt it was an excellent initiative on the City's part to involve
citizens in this kind of session. It made them feel included and heard in the process.
13
APPENDIX "B" - SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
1. Condition of sports fields
Maintenance and upkeep of 76 soccer, 110 baseball diamonds, 16 basketball courts and
42 tennis courts.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $600,000
= $200,000
2. Property standards
Enforcement of the property standards bylaw which concerns the health, safety and
attractiveness of both private and public property in the City of Kitchener.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $700,000
=$ 0
3. Traffic control
Traffic control, studies and measures that can result from concerns raised by citizens'
about traffic in their residential neighbourhoods (ie. installation of speed bumps to slow
traffic).
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $600,000
= $100,000
4. Cemeteries
Kitchener Cemeteries' currently operates six cemetery properties under the highest
standards of care and maintenance.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $1.4 million
= $1.3 million
5. Street liahtina
The City is responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing streetlights on City
streets. The majority of the budget is allocated to energy costs.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
6. Support for associations I sports aroups
= $1.4 million
=$ 0
Currently, the City of Kitchener provides annual operating grants to community groups
and organizations that provide municipal related activities (ie. arts and culture groups,
minor sports groups).
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $2 million
=$ 0
APPENDIX "B" - SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
7. Parkina enforcement
The proper enforcement of both on and off-street parking in the City of Kitchener.
= $800,000
= $1.2 million
8. Indoor sports
The City of Kitchener owns and operates Budd Park - which includes an indoor soccer
facility and office space and facilities used by Kitchener Minor Soccer.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $100,000
=$ 0
9. Provision of marriaae licenses & birth/death reaistrations
Processing of marriage licenses & birth and death registrations as legislated by the
Province.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
10. Sianaae
= $350,000
= $300,000
The City of Kitchener owns and operates a sign shop that creates and maintains all City
signage such as street and park signs. The sign shop also offers its services (at a cost)
to other organizations and governments (ie. school boards, hospitals, etc.)
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
11. Business licensina
= $200,000
= $100,000
The City of Kitchener is legislated by the Province to offer business licensing services to
the community. Anyone who wishes to start a business in the City of Kitchener requires
a business license.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
12. Grass cuttino
= $200,000
= $200,000
City staff maintains approximately 3,000 acres of turf of differing size, location and
classification, including cui de sacs, road right of ways, sports fields, parks and
playgrounds.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $1.7 million
=$ 0
13. Swimmina pools
The City currently operates three indoor pools and four outdoor pools.
APPENDIX "B" - SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
14. Street Sweepina
= $2.5 million
= $1.5 million
The City of Kitchener sweeps all streets to remove sand and debris accumulated over
the wi nter season.
= $400,000
=$ 0
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
15. Galleries/Theatres
City's funding support for local art galleries and theatres, including Centre in the Square,
Homer Watson House and Gallery and Theatre & Company.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $1.7 million
=$ 0
16. The Kitchener Auditorium
The City owns and operates the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, an arena complex
featuring three ice surfaces several meeting rooms and lounges, a teaching
amphitheatre and a fitness centre.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $3.3 million
= $2.4 million
17. Communications
The City communicates with its citizens and businesses in an effort to educate, inform
and engage taxpayers about the policies and initiatives that will affect them, as well as
the municipal programs that are available to them (ie. swimming classes, community
programs, etc.).
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
18. Crossina auards
= $1.7 million
= $400,000
The City employs a fleet of 79 crossing guards who help to ensure the development and
maintenance of an effective school traffic safety program. The mandate of the program
is to ensure children can cross streets safely as they travel to and from school.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $700,000
=$ 0
APPENDIX "B" - SERVICE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
19. Market
The City owns and operates Your Kitchener Market in downtown Kitchener which
houses the traditional farmers' market and the upper-level Market shops.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $800,000
= $400,000
20. Indoor ice rinks
The City owns and operates eight indoor rinks that are used for a variety of winter sports
and public skating activities.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $1.4 million
= $1.4 million
21. Leaf collection
Each fall, the City of Kitchener offers a Leaf Collection program. Through the program,
residents have several options of disposing of their leaves including: raking them to the
curb for pickup by city crews or disposing of them at one of 12 leaf drop off sites across
the city.
Total approximate operating budget in 2007
Portion of budget funded by revenue sources other than taxes
= $400,000
=$ 0