Is it fake? Is it overly optimistic? Or is it just right?
Whatever the answer, today's budget debate promises to be one of the liveliest in recent memory.
Councillors convene at City Hall at 10 a.m. to question, discuss and vote on next year's budget, the last one before the 2018 municipal election.
As it stands, the draft budget proposes a 2 per cent residential tax hike. But late last week, more than one-third of council proposed an additional .5 per cent — it'd cost homeowners an extra $1 per month — to raise about $8 million to fix roads, sidewalks and parks.
Council members who oppose the extra tax, including Mayor Jim Watson, accuse supporters of pandering to the public in an election year. The eight councillors who are behind the motion say they've heard from their constituents that they're willing to pay more if it means better roads.
There's been a bit of name-calling on Twitter over the issue in the past few days. Let's see if our elected officials are better behaved when they're in the same room.
Other areas where some councillors may be looking for more money include at least $100,000 for new social service agencies, and more money to fund the council-approved strategy to reduce greenhouse gases called Energy Evolution.
