A record $209.3-million operating budget will fuel City of Red Deer services and facilities during slower economic times.

Red Deer city council approved the budget on Monday. Shortly after, council further cut the budget by $54,000 after deleting a bookkeeping position.

Last year’s operating budget was $197 million.

Council had gone over every detail of the operating budget last month and came up with a 7.05 per cent municipal tax increase at the end.

Taxpayers won’t know the final per cent until the educational portion of the taxes comes in this spring.

A large chunk of the operating budget includes adding staff and services to rural areas that the city will likely annex in September.

Residents will also get increased service from police and fire-medics.

The city is hiring an additional four fire-medics this year, plus seven Mounties.

Approved in December, the $473-million capital budget includes a wealth of recreational projects, water and sewer upgrades and building improvements.

The operating budget was approved with little fanfare on Monday.

But there was extensive debate when Councillor Gail Parks asked to review one approved budgetary item.

It was concerning a bookkeeping position within the Community Services division.

Parks said she feared this position would be “setting a precedent.”

Other City Hall divisions could ask for similar positions in the future.

“We have Financial Services and this is where this action should be,” Parks said.

Both Community Services director Colleen Jensen and Financial Services manager Dean Krejci appealed to keep the position.

Jensen said this would be a third position for handling the books within Community Services.

She deemed it a “crucial” position because of the division’s increased workload.

“We will fall behind and there will be things that will fall through the cracks.”

Krejci said the individual controller positions are intended to be a conduit between the departments, divisions and Financial Services.

Council voted 5-4 in favour of deleting it from the budget.

Councillors who voted to remove it were Buch Buchanan, Frank Wong, Tara Veer, Lynne Mulder and Parks.

Councillors Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer, Cindy Jefferies, Larry Pimm and Mayor Morris Flewwelling wanted to keep the position.

Contact Laura Tester

at ltester@reddeeradvocate.com