(File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Approved Budget

Tax increase not as high as once expected for Melfort residents

Dec 28, 2022 | 4:13 PM

The City of Melfort has now officially released its 2023 budget.

After tabling the budget earlier this month, council held a special meeting this past week.

After deliberations, they adopted a tax increase of 4.5 per cent.

For reference, in the proposed budget, they had that number as high as 6.6 per cent.

The city’s operating budget will sit at $11.2 million, which will “focus on offsetting external pressures such as inflation while, at the same time, enabling critical capital investments in infrastructure development, renewal, and improvement to move forward.”

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In 2022, the average Consumer Price Index rate was 6.84 per cent, peaked in June at 8.1 per cent, and was 6.9 per cent as of October 1, 2022.

These high inflation rates have resulted in the City of Melfort paying significantly higher prices in the provision of municipal services, with further inflation projected to continue into 2023.

The proposed 2023 operating budget incorporates the following utility rate increases:

Government of Canada Fuel Surtax increase of 23 per cent; SaskPower rate increase of 4 per cent; SaskEnergy is currently seeking approval for a 16.8 per cent increase; and SaskWater fixed-rate increase of 3.37 per cent and consumption-rate increase of 11.3 per cent.

“The 2023 budget is holding the line operationally and sustaining our capital investment plan, which is vital for our community’s quality of life and economic well-being,” Mayor Glenn George said.

The 2023 Capital Budget will also include almost $8 million in capital investments into roads, water infrastructure, and facilities.

Some of the capital projects for 2023 include:

A total of $1.7 million for Street Renewal (Broadway South Reconstruction); $750,000 for a new fire engine; $100,000 for Facility Renewal; $431,000 for Watermain Renewal; $2.35 million for Land Development; and $1.45 million for New Solid Waste and Compost Facility.

“I am looking forward to 2023 and the reconstruction of Broadway Ave South and land development investment in South Gate,” George added.

The new budget will come into effect, as of midnight on Jan. 1.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8