Expect A "Fair Bit Of Pain" In 2013 Budget

Common council gearing up to address what Mayor Mel Norton calls the most serious financial challenges Saint John's government has ever faced....as 2013 budget deliberations draw closer council looking at swallowing some "tough medicine" when it comes to cuts.

Councillor Bill Farren says the taxpayers have made it clear they want to see a resolution when it comes to pension reform, as well as maintaining or increasing the level of service for roads and drinking water.

The Mayor saying the upcoming decisions of the Task Force on the shared risk model will be a game changer because without pension reform there are too many unknowns. Norton says when you crunch the numbers from 2011 and 2012 the city is more than $7 million in the hole going into this fiscal year, and they're looking to finalize the budget by Christmas.