Coaldale Town Council Approves 2020-2022 Operating Budget
Budget highlights include a 0.63% reduction to the residential tax rate along with a 0% increase to utility rates in 2020.
At the Special Council Meeting of December 16, 2019, Coaldale Town Council approved its 2020-2022 Operating Budget, which involved minor adjustments to the three-year operating budget that was passed on November 26, 2018. In accordance with Section 242 of the Municipal Government Act, municipal Council’s are required to adopt an operating budget each calendar year.
In 2020, Coaldale’s residential tax rate will be reduced by 0.63%.
The non-residential municipal tax rate for 2020 will remain unchanged from the previous year at 10.5451. This represents a 2% increase in non-residential taxes after adjusting for inflation with respect to the assessed value of non-residential properties.
There will also be a 0% increase to utility rates in 2020.
“Council set out to have a 0% increase to the residential municipal tax rate for both 2019 and 2020,” said Mayor Kim Craig. “To exceed that goal, and to provide a 0.63% reduction to our 2020 residential tax rate, is something we are very proud of. As a Council, we also felt it important to hold the line on utility rates.”
Kyle Beauchamp, Director of Corporate Services for the Town of Coaldale, noted that, “one of the big reasons that it was possible to maintain existing service levels while reducing the residential tax rate was because various organizational efficiencies were identified. Service contracts, for example, were reviewed—many of which were RFP’d—and the Town’s WCB rates dropped considerably, which is a huge testament to Town staff and our revamped safety program.”
2020-2022 Budget Highlights
- In 2020, the collective cost of salaries, wages and benefits dropped by $12,230 compared to that of 2019; this was due, in part, by changing benefit providers. Digital water temperature and water level monitoring gauges will be installed on Town-controlled stormwater ponds to inform when bacterial larvicide should be applied in order to control for mosquitoes.
- Other operating expenditures, such as waste collection, were reduced by $333,178 – a 3.5% reduction from 2019. Council approved the funds required to repair the existing outdoor pool in Coaldale, so that it can be operational in time for the 2020 season. This will buy valuable time for the Town to work with the community to develop plans for a long-term solution for this much-enjoyed amenity.
- The $120 annual special tax will be maintained to fund the design and construction of the Multi-Use Recreation Centre.
- In 2020, it is expected that the total RCMP policing cost will be $1,406,240. It is important to note that the Town of Coaldale remains the only municipality in Canada—with a population size between 5000 and 15,000 residents—that pays 100% cost for its RCMP policing resources; all other municipalities in Canada between 5000 and 15,000 people pay 70% of the cost of RCMP policing. The Town of Coaldale continues to advocate for fairness at the federal level, so that the residents of Coaldale pay the same unit cost for RCMP policing resources as all other municipalities (with populations between 5000 and 15,000) across Canada.
- There was a $107,000 reduction in photo radar and traffic fine revenue, as the Province, due to recent policy changes, now takes a higher percentage of fine revenue than in years previous (40% as opposed to 27%).
- An additional $20,000 has been re-directed to the annual Settler’s Days event in order to maintain the annual fireworks show, and an additional $15,000 was set aside to maintain the Festival of Lights show.
- The Town continues to set aside an average of $1.9 M per year – year over year – into various capital replacement reserves to ensure core infrastructure is replaced and maintained.
- The Town will continue its sewer re-lining program in 2020 and 2021, which has proven to be a cost-effective strategy for extending the life cycle of critical infrastructure.
- Annual operating support for the Handi-Ride Association ($45,000) and Gem of the West Museum Society ($30,000) has been maintained.
- The Town’s alley rebuild program (10 alleys in total) will continue in 2020.
- Council has directed administration to explore some options on how Council can incorporate a stronger citizen engagement component into next year's budget deliberations, including the exploration of different budget engagement software’s, which are used in other municipalities.
A comprehensive review of the Town of Coaldale’s 2019 year-end financials will be made available in the first quarter of 2020. To see how Coaldale compares financially to its municipal peers, please see the presentation below or click the link below:
Comparative Analytics: How does Coaldale measure up to neighbouring municipalities?
