Exhibition review to be discussed at SPC

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on November 23, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The long-awaited third party review of the Lethbridge & District Exhibition will be addressed next week when city council meets in its capacity as Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee.

The SPC will meet twice – Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in council chambers for discussions and presentations on the review.

Council itself will also hold its regular meeting on Tuesday starting at 12:30 p.m.

A relatively light agenda is on tap with three committee reports as part of the consent agenda, an official business motion co-sponsored by councillors Belinda Crowson and Jeff Carlson on annual budget reviews, one bylaw for first reading, four bylaws for second and third reading, one administration presentation by Electric Utility general manager Jason Drenth and an encampment strategy update from Community Social Development general manager Andrew Malcolm.

The motion on annual budget reviews calls for council to further define the annual budget review to include elements and that items outside of those be deferred to the next four-year operating budget deliberations.

The matters the motion calls for to be included in the budget review are:

• Economic Update Presentation.

• September Financial Operating Forecast.

• Capital Improvement Program Summary Progress Report.

• Operating Budget Initiative Progress Report.

• Specific operating budget service level inquires requested by City Council

• Any operational emerging issues that could impact service levels brought forward by

Administration.

The motion states in part that misinterpretation of the annual preview process “has led to reopening the operating budget in mid-cycle, which has resulted in additional pressure to fund ongoing budget initiatives with one-time money” and such practice doesn’t follow the City’s established policy and practice of funding ongoing expenditures with ongoing funding.

It also states the original purpose of the reviews was for council to evaluate if specific service levels are meeting community needs and to examine the alignment of specific service levels with community expectations, or for administration to bring forward emerging operational issues for consideration that could impact service levels.