Municipal taxes are slated to rise this year and again next year under draft operational budgets that, for the most part, maintain services for Sundre residents.
The majority of council told administration last week that they “could live with” the three per cent increase in residential and commercial taxes proposed in each of the draft budgets for 2017 and 2018.
“I'm a resident and you think I want to pay more? I'm sure nobody does. But at the end of the day we have infrastructure we have to fix, and they're aging and if we don't do it now we're done. I'm not supporting a zero (per cent increase). I like a three and we found that common ground from what it was,” said Coun. Chris Vardas.
Last Monday, council looked over the draft budgets that included a wide range of cuts from the original draft that called for a six per cent increase in residential and commercial taxes for both years.
Three council members indicated they were supportive of tax increases of just under three per cent, as in Coun. Paul Isaac's case, to zero in Coun. Myron Thompson's case.
“(It's) to make a gesture to the people out there: yes Paul, we understand the situation you're in. You've lost your job. You haven't had one for quite a while. Yes, we understand you're going to the food bank and you've never had to do that. We're willing to show that we're with you, so this year will be zero (tax increase). And we've got the money to do it with,” said Thompson.
Victor Pirie, the town's director of finance and administration said now that the majority of council has indicated no further cuts need to be made to the draft budgets, final adjustments will be made and they will be presented to council for adoption on Dec. 5.
He described the budget as maintaining services for the most part.
“This particular budget is basically hold the line,” he said.
To bring the 2017 tax increase down to three per cent, Pirie said about $89,000 had to be cut from the original draft 2017 budget and $186,000 from the original draft 2018 budget.
Council reviewed those cuts during last week's council meeting.
“What we tried to do in making the adjustments, we tried to ensure it would have minimal impact on service delivery to the community and to our residents,” said Pirie.
A majority of new initiatives, mostly in the parks department, were cut entirely, scaled back or deferred to a future year. While the department has proposed to bring back a flower basket-hanging program, its budget has now been cut in half.
New landscaping to three parks has been eliminated entirely from the draft 2017 budget and playground maintenance and lawn and turf management have been scaled back from their original budgets.
“The town has undertaken a number of new parks and we should be able to reduce our maintenance ensuring we meet all the requirements and the regulations and that (playgrounds) are safe,” said Pirie.
Several of the town's memberships in a variety of organizations would not be renewed under the draft 2017 budget including the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance and the Southern Alberta Energy from Waste Association.
Rather than completing the proposed east side redevelopment plan entirely in 2017 as was originally intended, the plan is to start it in 2017 and finish in 2018 so the cost can be shared between the two years.
Council directed administration to maintain the library's funding in 2017 and 2018 at the 2016 level, thereby cutting a couple of thousand dollars out of the draft 2017 budget. As well, council directed administration to eliminate funding a 211 service and Big Brothers Big Sisters entirely out of the draft budget.
Heritage flag staff and flag purchases were deleted entirely out of the draft 2017 budget while the heritage plaque and street banner programs were only reduced from what was originally budgeted for. Less money has been budgeted for volunteer recognition and there will be no new brochures for trail systems.
Many of the reductions and cuts applied to the draft 2017 budget in the parks and community services departments were also applied to the draft 2018 budget.
Other cuts and reductions in the 2018 draft budget include the removal of $20,000 for a records management contract, funding four instead of seven council members to attend the annual Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention and eliminating $17,000 for a salary survey that is now proposed to be done in house.
The draft 2017 operating budget currently sits at approximately $11.5 million and the draft 2018 budget is approximately $10.7 million.
