As part of the process for the City of Weyburn’s 2024 budget, an open house has been scheduled for next week. Scheduled for Tuesday, November 7th, it will be held in two sessions at the Credit Union Spark Centre – one from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the second from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

“The concept of this open house is that our council and city staff will be available to answer public questions about the preliminary budget that was discussed in our last council meeting, and also to discuss the budget priorities that we’ve laid out,” explained the City of Weyburn’s Communications Coordinator, Paige Tenbult.  

The input on priorities, while also learning about the municipal budget process, is one of the key reasons behind the open house, Tenbult added. However, it also gives those behind the budget the chance to ask some questions of the residents of Weyburn, such as what core service areas are important to them, and what they are willing to pay more for, while at the same time getting an idea of what the city’s top priorities should be in the future.  

“When we released that strategic plan that highlighted our vision, and our mission, and our strategic priorities going into the next couple of years here, we know that our municipal budget has to fall in line with those priorities,” Tenbult said when asked how the concept of an open house fits into the strategic plan released in September. “So being able to have this open house, to have that transparent conversation with the council and with staff, to make sure that the priorities they see in this budget for 2024 is in line with that strategic plan that we proposed and have out there in the community.” 

After the open house, the budget will then be back in the council chambers at City Hall on November 27th. This will also be the opportunity for delegations to make presentations concerning the budget to the City Council. The final vote on the budget will then be held on December 11th.