Nunavut’s capital defers budget amendments for more scrutiny

Iqaluit’s chief of corporate services, John Mabberi-Mudonyi, says amendments to the current budget would add $249,000 in expenses as a result of oversights and redundancies, among other reasons. (FILE PHOTO)

When it comes to money, sometimes you have to pause and take a closer look.

Iqaluit’s city council deferred on a budget amendment Nov. 8 that would cut back on several city funds, correct oversights from the original 2016 budget and ultimately add about $249,000 in additional expenses spread across multiple city departments.

Deliberation on the proposal was short-lived among councillors, who agreed unanimously to a motion from Coun. Megan Pizzo-Lyall to defer the amendment to a future city council meeting.

“I’d like to know what the implications of this is,” said Pizzo-Lyall, stressing the importance of having the information properly presented to council.

The city’s chief of corporate services, John Mabberi-Mudonyi, who presented the proposed amendment, told councillors at this week’s city council meeting that the biggest ticket item—adding $275,000 to the budget for piped-water utilidor equipment—was an administrative oversight.

Coun. Joanasie Akumalik asked how city administration could have missed such an expensive project—already committed to by contractors—when this year’s original budget was drafted.

“During the budgeting process, [the Department of] Public Works didn’t see it. I missed it. We have to pay for it. It was an unfortunate thing, it shouldn’t have been but it did,” Mabberi-Mudonyi responded.

Other changes in the amendment include directing an additional $75,000 to repair a city excavator and loader as well as adding $60,000 in consulting fees, spent to renew the city’s water license, which expired in 2012.

If you add that to the original $20,000 budgeted to renew the water license, that’s four times what the city thought it would spend.

Another amendment includes $50,000 to be spent topping up the city’s supply of sand to service roads, part of a $140,000 fund that Mabberi-Mudonyi said ran out in the spring.

Mabberi-Mudonyi also said finance staff would subtract about $3,500 from the municipal enforcement budget, which includes a correction to redundant funds already allocated elsewhere and a deletion of $32,000 in casual salaries for ambulance and fire services.

“They had budgeted for casual, but they haven’t had any casual so we’re eliminating it,” Mabberi-Mudonyi said.

Just last week, outgoing language commissioner Sandra Inutiq complained during a special town hall meeting with Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern and city councillors that Iqaluit’s fire department was overworked and understaffed.

The proposed budget amendment would also subtract $182,500 from the planning and development department in areas such as survey fees and the general plan and zoning by-law.

That, along with smaller adjustments to the human resources department—amounting to $9,000—would leave the city with $249,000 in added expenses, according to the document provided to council.

Delaying passage of the amendment will allow councillors to review the details before committing to voting on the proposed changes.

Last month, second-quarter financial statements hinted at the beginning of fiscal recovery for the city.

It is unclear how much of an impact the proposed amendments would have on that recovery should councillors approve it at the next city council meeting, scheduled for Nov. 22.