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JULY 9, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 131
110
Jays in Spokane
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INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
Trail’s financial audit paints positive picture
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
WARM WEATHER WORKOUT
have one this year,” he said. “(The money) will get re-invested in the The city’s cash cup runneth over, city’s operations. The city is in a posbut you won’t be receiving a cheque ition now that we can afford to do in the mail. more because we had a decent year An independent audit of city last year.” finances has shown the City of Trail This isn’t the first time the city sitting pretty with a $1.5 million has come out on the plus side of surplus, according to 2011 aud- the ledger. In fact, the City of Trail ited financial statehas been able to more ments done by Craig than balance the books “The city is in a Teindl of L. Soligos and position now that for several years now, Associates. said city chief adminwe can afford to The city was able istrative officer David to bring in more and do more because Perehudoff, but this is spend less in the last fisthe largest one in sevwe had a decent cal year, putting it in a eral years. year last year.” spot where it now has “We try to budget some spare cash to kick in such a way that we KEVIN JOLLY around. break even, but in this But it won’t be kickcase we are better in a ing the cash back to taxpayers, or number of areas so we generated a handing out a tax cut, said council- larger surplus than typical,” he said. lor Kevin Jolly, the chair of the city’s Although the city budgets to break general government and finance even, in this case the city did betcommittee. ter in a number of areas—including Instead, the city will be moving acceleration of the Small Community ahead with a few projects—including Grants payments from the provincial the Gateway phase of the Downtown government, meaning cash from preImprovement Plan—and creating a vious years was deferred to 2011. rainy day fund. The glowing financial picture is The city does operate on a budget even brighter if audit practices of of conservatism and budgets for three years ago were applied, leaving potential expenditures that could out depreciation and amortization jeopardize the plan, but it often does of city assets. Three years ago the not work out that way, he said. current $1.66 million increase in net “It’s not common, in my opin- financial assets would show the city ion, that you should have a signifi- with a total surplus of $2.7 million. See CITY, Page 3 cant surplus all of the time, but we
BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
City, union get deal BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
Although the province has remained steadfast on a net zero negotiating policy for government worker contracts, the City of Trail is more compassionate. The municipal government has handed over a new contract to its workers, giving them at least a cost of living increase of two per cent for the next three years. On Friday it was announced the city and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2087—serving approximately 100
full and part-time unionized city workers—agreed on a three-year deal, replacing the previous contract that expired in February. The new agreement provides annual pay increases of two per cent per year for each year of the contract, including “benefit enhancements and changes in contract language that provide greater clarification and certainty for both the city and the union moving forward,” said city chief administrative officer David Perehudoff.
See NEW, Page 3
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
Joey Baker puts his athletic ability to another test as he spends the summer working maintenance around the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. The former Trail Smoke Eater and now Portland Winterhawk of the Western Hockey League is spending the summer in his hometown while he trains for the coming season.
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