Mayor Matt Brown is asking one member of city council for extra help as the city hammers out its first multi-year budget.
Councillor Josh Morgan has been appointed the mayor's "special advisor" for the 2016-2019 city budget.
“As we prepare for council’s first ever multi-year budget, I am asking Councillor Morgan to take on a role that I believe will add value to the process," says Brown.
Councillor Morgan holds a combined honours degree in economics and political science and a Master’s degree in political science from Western University. He has worked closely on budget processes in both current and previous roles, including as board chair of the London Public Library and a member of the Western University Pension Board which has assets totalling over $1.3 billion.
“Mayor Brown and I have a long and positive history of working together. When I was the Chair of the Library Board, he introduced the concept of value for money audits for boards and commissions. We worked together to ensure the Library was the first board to participate and saw many positive results,” says Councillor Morgan. “I am looking forward to providing my advice, experience and support to him in his role as Budget Chief.”
London's next city budget will be its first multi-year budget, covering four years. Any financial adjustments that are needed will be reviewed on an annual basis.
The city hopes the multi-year budget will allow it to plan better for the long term and achieve its vision and strategic plan.
Only two other large municipalities run multi-year budgets - Calgary and York.