Quesnel’s Board of Education has unanimously approved an amended 2016-2017 Operating Budget.
The cost of running the District this year will be 38-million 834 thousand 675 dollars.
Secretary-Treasurer Bettina Ketcham says they ended up with what she call a “paper deficit” of around 245 thousand dollars…
“It is basically that we assume that everyone is going to spend their budget but we know that often there are times there is room in certain accounts that not all of the money will be used. For example furnace and hydro fuel and diesel prices, depending on how they go.”
Ketcham says that money would then be put towards the deficit and in some cases they even end up with a modest surplus.
She says if there is still a deficit they would take some money out of current accumulated surplus which is at 663 thousand dollars.
Final numbers aren’t expected until September.
Ketcham says this budget cycle was particularly chaotic as they received their funding in “bits and bobs.”
She says they were given several surprises, albeit positive surprises, such as the return of administrative savings, some rural enhancement funding and transportation funding.
Ketcham says she has been assured by the Ministry of Education that they will be getting the money again next year which will make the process go a lot smoother.