Town Finance Director David Gillan presents the proposed budget at Thursday’s meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Town lawmakers mull over one per cent tax increase

Dec 6, 2019 | 12:33 PM

Battleford lawmakers had an overall favourable response to a draft of the proposed 2020 budget presented at a special council meeting Thursday night.

The town proposed a one per cent municipal tax increase. There was no increase to the utility rate.

Mayor Ames Leslie said the budget is expected to be passed Dec. 16.

No one from the public spoke to raise any concerns during the meeting.

“It feels like we could have a positive outcome on the 16th, but we all know when it comes to making decisions, when it comes to money, anything can change. But I didn’t feel anything in the room that could delay this budget,” Leslie said following the meeting.

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Some of the projects planned for 2020 include making paving upgrades and replacing sidewalks. The town will also compete a rehabilitation of the 200 block of 23 Street West. The lagoon wastewater treatment system will be upgraded and expanded during the year ahead for a $5.2 million project. The town was able to avoid increasing utility rates because it received grants for a large chunk of the lagoon work cost.

Leslie said the aim of having a one per cent increase is to help build up the town’s reserves for future projects to meet the town’s infrastructure needs.

According to Finance Director David Gillan, who presented a balanced budget, the increase will generate about $30,000 in new revenue for the town.

A one per cent increase works out to $16 per year more for the average assessed residential property. The average assessed commercial property will see a $31 per year increase.

When eyeing the one per cent increase proposal, Coun. Kevin Russell said he had initially wanted to see no tax increase, but acknowledged the small increase isn’t significant and it would help to continue to make the town better moving foreward.

Coun. Doug Laing also said if the town doesn’t have an increase for a year it will have to catch up later.

Coun. Judy Pruden said she would have been fine with a two per cent increase, saying that would work out to $32 per year more for the average assessed residential property, or less than a loonie per week.

“But if we can make it work for 50 cents a week or less that’s good,” she said of the one per cent proposal.

Coun. Susan McLean Tady described the budget as a “lean machine.”

She was happy with the increase proposed, saying: “I’m good with the one per cent, as long as we’re not cutting back somewhere we should be paying attention to.”

“If they can make it work with the one per cent, let’s do it,” McLean Tady said.

Coun. Shelley Boutin-Gervais believed the one per cent increase was “quite fair,” saying: “If you want to keep the town moving forward, you have got to get projects done, and projects aren’t free,” of the need for the town to build up its savings.

Coun. Gordon Yarde was absent during the meeting.

Mayor Leslie said: “It’s not an easy budget to do in a year where there are so many moving parts and projects being done. There are a lot of things to get done in this year…I think a one per cent is a fair ask… We need to move the town forward.”

Council will make its final decision at its Dec. 16 meeting.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow