Baptiste Lake gets a new fire hall, while Rochester gets a new fire truck. Wandering River gets First Street paved, and all county residents get rural addressing.
Those are a few of the highlights from Athabasca County’s almost $35-million budget, approved by council last Tuesday.
The budget anticipates revenues of $34.949 million this year — about $500,000 more than was budgeted in 2013 — through increased assessment and an approximate two-per-cent increase in municipal taxes, although taxation rates have yet to be determined.
The county aims to spend $34.817 million — about $574,000 more than budgeted in 2013 — leaving a surplus of $131,766; less than 0.4 per cent of its anticipated revenue.
Some key expenditures in the 2014 budget include:
Paving First Street in Wandering River is expected to cost $500,000, while $114,000 was allocated to oil overlays on a few existing oiled roads across the county.
The county will spend $2.075 million constructing or rebuilding close to 15 miles (24 km) of road within the county, and shoulder pulls on 15 additional miles.
Gravelling of all county roads on a four-year cycle will continue, with additional gravel laid on 135 km of heavily used roads. Select winter gravelling will also take place. The total budget allocation for gravelling is $1.831 million.
The Colinton bridge will be removed and five others will be repaired, with exact sites to be determined, at a total cost of $833,000.
This will be the second year of the county’s “full cut” roadside grass cutting program, at a cost of $480,000. Prior to 2013, roadside grass cutting took place on approximately half the county’s roads in alternating years. “We’re hearing very positive comments from visitors to the county,” county manager Gary Buchanan noted. “It shows best at the peripheral boundaries with our neighbours.”
Rochester Fire Department’s pumper tanker truck will be replaced at a cost of $230,000, and a $132,000 Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) Grant has been allocated towards a new fire hall at the north end of Baptiste Lake. Construction of the new fire hall is expected this year, in partnership with the six summer villages around Baptiste and Island Lake.
The county has renewed its participation in the Highway 63 Emergency Services Response contract at a cost of $476,000, and has also allocated $428,000 to assist the nine fire departments within the county with operations, training, small equipment and maintenance.
Rural addressing will be implemented throughout the county at an anticipated cost of $500,000.
The county will continue to support the operation of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex and the Boyle Arena, to the tune of $653,000, and have also placed $275,000 in reserve towards an eventual new swimming pool at the multiplex.
The budget sets aside $181,000 for upgrades to the county’s campsites at Forfar Park, Hope Lake and Jackfish Lake, as well as the Community and Community Hall Assistance Grant programs.
Construction and relocation of Athabasca Family & Community Support Services staff into their new building will be completed at a cost of $200,000.
The municipal tax rebate program will continue, whereby any new assessment within the county of at least $100,000 is eligible for a one-time rebate of 50 per cent of the municipal taxes the new assessment generates.
Budget allotments for 2014 include $150,500 for weed control; $115,000 for flood control and problem wildlife; $132,000 for roadway back sloping; $24,000 to assist land owners with weed control; and $27,000 for maintenance and upgrading of tank loading facilities.
