The City of Whitehorse approved its operating budget Monday evening.

As the debate opened, Coun. Dan Boyd immediately said, “This is a very difficult budget for me for a few reasons.

“The biggest reason is the cost increases over what we projected it would be last year.”

Last year, to the best of his recollection, Boyd said, the city was looking at a $104-million operating budget. This year’s budget is $110.5 million, he added.

“So basically, we’re up a good 10 per cent (on the budget). Some of that is necessary,” he said.

“We facing some challenges, and they’re huge, but I’m very concerned about this budget.

“I’m feeling I can’t support it because we will have grown so much in one year. That’s not sustainable. I’m having a very difficult time supporting this budget at this time.”

Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu said there is “nothing frivolous in the budget.

“We do have responsibility to manage these services, and percentage-wise, the percentage of the increase is still relatively low. Hopefully, it will slow down in the future.”

Curteanu said council and city have gone over the budget thoroughly, and she is satisfied with it.

Coun. Ted Laking echoed Boyd’s comments.

“We need to focus on the fundamental services,” he said.

He is troubled by some of the numbers, Laking said, adding he is concerned about what he called “the affordability” crisis the community is experiencing.

“I really worry about the ability of many families in this community to bear these increases,” he said.

“This has been a very scrutinized budget, but I have been advocating for something lower. That’s why I won’t be supporting it.”

Boyd chimed in again, saying when this council took office in the fall of 2021, there were very moderate tax increases and healthy reserves – but that’s no longer the case.

“I’m worried now that we’re turning a corner, and if we keep going on this path, we are going to be in a very poor financial position,” he said.

“I don’t think the tax base really appreciates that, and they’re likely to say ‘do better and rein in your spending.’ I think we can do better on making this budget more affordable.”

Boyd also pointed out the budget doesn’t address other expected expenditures, although he wasn’t specific on what he was referring to.

The city hasn’t yet dealt with a potential recycling pickup program, which is a thorny problem, he noted.

Coun. Mellisa Murray said she was generally in support of the budget, but asked for an amendment to increase maintenance on the Hamilton Boulevard paved trail.

That amendment failed, with Mayor Laura Cabott in particular opposing it.

Coun. Kirk Cameron also wasn’t happy with the budget, but said he would support it.

“I’m prepared to give this budget a chance,” he said. “We really need to get hard on future issues that we might to address.”

He added he considers this budget a foundation for those issues.

The budget was approved on a 5-2 vote.