Cambridge budget committee aims to whittle down 4 per cent tax hike

The average Cambridge household would pay an added $94 next year, according to a draft version of the city's 2020 budget. 

Most of the increase is due to a 4.05 per cent tax increase, which works out to an added cost of $55.11 per household. 

Households can also plan to pay another $39 next year for water utilities. 

Ward 3 councillor Mike Mann, who is also chair of the budget committee, says the city can do better. 

"Ninety four dollars is a lot of money," said Mann, who thinks the prospective tax rate increase can be chopped in half, down to closer to 2 per cent.

To that end, a list of 32 budget items has been attached as an Appendix to the budget online. A few of the items up for discussion include:

• No longer hiring communications co-op students, which would save $45,400.
• Eliminating funding for a rainbow crosswalk, which would save $15,000.
• Reducing cleaning at city hall from five days a week down to three days a week, which would save $33,000.
• No longer responding to needle clean-up calls on private property, which would save $100,000.
• Closing all Idea Exchange locations on Monday evenings, saving $56,000.

The budget committee will meet Thursday to discuss which items can stay and which can go, following a public input meeting earlier this week. Additional meeting dates have been set aside for Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, depending on how long it takes to hammer out a final plan.

"Council is very determined to reduce the budget to less than four per cent, but also to make sure that we provide the essential services that the community wants and expects from us," Mann said.

 "I'm confident that we'll be able to reduce the budget."

The final budget approval will take place in January 2020.