City Council’s budget committee has passed the 2019-2023 revised capital budget at a special budget committee meeting Tuesday night in Council chambers.

In their Jan. 21 budget committee meeting, councillors moved the capital expenditures for the next five years be capped at $200 million instead of the $244 million city administration suggested.

"We did a fairly decent job, we got to $202,699,579" said city manager Jim Puffalt. 

"We really have not taken anything out of the budget," he said. "We tightened up some of our estimates... and then pushed out a few items to get to the $200 million, and that was also in accordance to council's wishes."

The figure included carry forward amounts from unused portions of the 2018 capital budget.

The document was modified slightly and then finalized by a motion of the budget committee, which passed five votes to two.

Coun. Brian Swanson said they aren't reducing anything and that this budget kicks things down the road. 

"I don't think that there's any great joy to be had tonight that we've somehow done a wonderful job," Swanson said. "It's simply pushing things out and, if this is more realistic, then I wonder what adverb we would use to describe what we had before. The cast iron program continues to be underfunded and this recent weekend of watermain breaks should emphasize that to us."

Swanson said they have to eliminate things that are not as essential as delivering water to the citizens of Moose Jaw. 

Coun. Chris Warren said it took a lot of work to get to the point they're at as a council and administration.  

"I saw the success and I saw the teamwork and collaboration that took place there," Warren said. "We're still spending $200 million over five years... we're almost spending three times more every year than we did ten years ago. And it's largely a part of the work administration has done to identify all the projects and all the work that's needed."

The budget will still have to be passed at a future council meeting.