The town of Hudson Bay is still working on its budget. Courtesy town of Hudson Bay.  

By Doug Lett

Hudson Bay budget pending

Hudson Bay finalizing budget

Apr 14, 2023 | 4:00 PM

The town of Hudson Bay is still fine-tuning it’s budget for 2023. Mayor Betty Lou Palko said councillors met on April 13 to go over the budget.

But she said the town is going through re-assessment, and that has meant setting a tax rate is more complicated than usual.

However, Palko said if the town does end up raising taxes this year, it’s going to be a very small increase. She said councillors feel very strongly about keeping any increase small, if at all.

Palko added one of the biggest pressure points in the budget is the cost of operating the town’s waste disposal site.

She said provincial requirements, from fencing to adding layers of clay and plastic, means the cost of operating the site keeps going up.

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Hudson Bay is not alone in that concern. The issue of landfill costs is among the resolutions going to the annual SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) convention next week in Saskatoon. The resolution calls for the provincial and federal governments to come up with a new program (the old one has ended) to help communities meet the cost of decommissioning landfills.

Palko said they hope to have the budget finalized at the next council meeting on April 25.

The town of Nipawin is also still working on finalizing its 2023 budget. The budget was up for discussion at council’s regular meeting on April 11, but it has been tabled for more discussion.

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doug.lett@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @DougLettSK