Saint John city council plans to cut spending by $9.1 million, according to its draft budget for 2021.

The budget aims to tackle a $10-million shortfall without aid from the provincial government.

"This has been a budget that has been brewing if you will, for the last four years," Mayor Don Darling said during an interview with Information Morning Saint John.

"This is a historic financial reset, where we have balanced our books. We have dealt with the $10 million deficit in a variety of ways."

Former premier Brian Gallant committed to a three-year assistance package in September 2017, following Darling's pleas for a "new deal" to address what he called a municipal budget crisis. The city was forecasting a $6-million deficit at the time.

Darling said the proposed budget would deal with $6 million through workforce "adjustments" and $4 million through a variety of service adjustments. The transit subsidy, for example, could be cut by more than $800,000

Meanwhile, the remaining $900,000 to achieve a balanced budget would come from projected revenues.

"Some of the the impacts have not been easy," he said.

But Darling said the city still needs major reforms from the provincial government in things such as taxation and binding arbitration.

Darling wants to hear from the public in the coming weeks. But he said if the city is going to spend money on anything, there will need to be cuts somewhere.

The budget is expected to come to a final vote on Aug. 31.

"The wind is in our sail now, and we can put all of our energy into moving forward and growing the city," he said.