This Week at City Hall: Green Garbage Trucks and the Taxes We Owe

Tuesday, February 9
Finance and Adminstration Committee (12:15 pm): The city's looking into buying a green garbage truck. To do this, Finance Committee will be considering a staff recommendation to enter negotiations with the province towards a cost sharing agreement under the Go Green Fund. The truck they have their eye on uses a Hydraulic Launch Assist technology to capture kinetic energy in braking. No, I do not understand what that means nor how it works. Colour me an ignorant twerp. All I know is the administration claims it could lead to 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. A good thing. But if they buy the truck, it would only be a pilot project and they'd be monitoring it to see how it performs in -30° weather. The truck would cost $400,000 and if the province likes the idea, the Go Green Fund would contribute $300,000 and the city the rest.

Meanwhile, tsk tsk Regina, according to a report Finance Committee will be looking at, it seems your tax bill is $5,739,399 in arrears this year. That's $401,0151 more than in 2009. You know we're not getting the extra cash the province promised us? That $5 million would come in pretty handy right about now. I'm just saying....

Reports and agendas can be downloaded on the city website.