City council approved the first step in adding an additional $100,000 in emergency funds to this year's budget.
The city has to give three readings to change the financial plan bylaw adopted on March 18, 2025, which provided a financial plan and budget for 2025-29.
The city approved the additional $100,000 in expenditures at a special meeting held on April 22, 2025 to discuss to discuss "homelessness and community safety in the downtown." The money will be drawn from the city's general reserve funds.
Once approved, the funds are to be used by staff in order to support some additional RCMP enforcement and some will go towards providing porta-potties in a couple of downtown locations to help reduce the amount of feces in public spaces in the community.
The additional funds will not be providing an extra RCMP position, as this amount would not even cover half of an RCMP member's cost for a year.
