The City of Fort St. John has revised the latest draft of its five-year budget plan to account for an increase in provincial grant funding.
The grant, provided through the Peace River Agreement, will increase by just over $1.5 million in 2025, bringing the city’s total to $28,804,650 from the agreement.
The increase comes as the city addressed an operating budget shortfall of $451,933, which has now been balanced from initial estimates.
Under the Local Government Act, municipalities are unable to operate at a shortfall. In response, council recommendations were sought during a January 27 committee meeting, leading to suggestions for reallocating underutilized funds during a January 27 committee meeting. Those funds include a $75,000 transfer from the Energy Literacy Reserve.
The city’s capital budget is now projected at just over $62 million. Overall, the city’s expenses will exceed $121 million, with more than half allocated to capital expenses. The remaining expenses will be offset in part by city revenues.
An informal public drop-in consultation on the budget will be held on March 10 at 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, and will follow the presentation of the budget.