Councillors prepare for budget deliberations

City councillors will be sharpening their pencils Monday as they begin deliberations for the 2019 budget.
Initial staff numbers recommend a 3.57 per cent increase for taxpayers.
That number includes about a 1 per cent increase for levy boards and outside agencies and 2.5 per cent increase internally, including higher WSIB costs, collective agreement commitments and increasing costs.
The number also incorporates last year’s provincial Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grant at the same lev