Budget time has arrived for the city of Moose Jaw and the process will bring some special challenges this time around.  Finding more money, more savings, or both.

To maintain the current level of service city administration is telling council a 4.05% mill increase will be needed.  Mayor Fraser Tolmie says that is due in no small measure to the provincial budget cuts that came into effect three months into last year.  

"We went through the budget process last year and then we had to make changes as a result of the provincial budget, so we`ve got to make some decisions.  Those decisions have got to be focused on the citizens of Moose Jaw, about their roads, about their water mains, about their parks.  We have to look out for ourselves in this budget`.

Referring to how and where to spend in the year ahead Tolmie says, "We obviously want to look at where our money is going, and we are looking at effective ways that we can save money and looking for those effeciencies".

The mayor says his only goal with the budget is to offer the best service while still promoting the city. The first budget meetings are being held tonight with more indepth meetings set for Friday and Saturday.