Removing fluoride from city water has proved a windfall for Hamilton City amenities and the youth council.

Playground work gets an additional $33,000, partner pools an extra $20,000 and a further $5000 goes to the youth council.

Staff will report back by September on further alternative non-debt funding for the partner pools and playground budgets.

Partner pools sees council share costs of existing school or club pools so they are open to the public. According to general manager community Lance Vervoort the council remains on track to deliver on its promise of sound financial management of the city’s books after final deliberations on the Annual Plan for 2013-14.

In deliberating over Annual Plan submissions and recommendations, councillors identified three areas which can be funded from a now-available $58,000 – from $48,000 saved from removing fluoride, and $10,000 in budget changes.

In addition, a working group of councillors and staff has been established to review the Playground Policy and associated work programme, and to report back in September.

Also agreed last week was the reinstatement of the Public Art Support Fund to $52,000 for the next year.

An earlier plan to redirect $30,000 to pay for additional central city cleaning was amended when latest rate growth forecasts came in $40,000 to the good.

Acting chief executive Blair Bowcott says under the 10 Year Plan council had significantly reduced its capital expenditure programme and was continuing a debt management strategy by capping debt at $440 million for the foreseeable future.

“The $15 million organisational savings were on track to be delivered in year three of the budget. There will no change to the proposed rates increase for 2013/14 of 3.8 per cent,” he says.

Print PDF