BARRHEAD - The Town of Barrhead's finances are right on target.
That is what corporate services director Jennifer Mantay told councillors at the July 25 council meeting where she delivered the municipality's mid-year financial statement report.
She noted that council approved the 2023 operating and capital budgets at $15.2 and $3.8 million, respectively, in early January. By June 30, the municipality typically should be close to the 50 per cent in revenue intake and outgoing expenditures.
Mantay added that they are right on target for the most part, with most of the deviations being positive and easily accounted for.
Perhaps the only surprise, she said, is that the municipality is well above the 50 per cent threshold for revenue, noting that they currently have received close to 71 per cent.
The jump, Mantay explained, is because the municipality has received virtually all of its property taxes.
"Notices were sent in May, and right now, we have collected 99 per cent of our property tax revenues," she said.
Mantay noted this puts the town in an excellent financial position as they have yet to receive the county's contribution of its portion of the operating expenses for recreation or the provincial Municipality Sustainability Initiative (MSI) operating and capital grants, which they usually receive in the third quarter.
It is worth noting that later in the meeting, council reviewed a letter from Municipal Affairs minister Rick McIver stating that they would be receiving $305,840 for their 2023 MSI operating grant, approximately double the 2022 amount, and $485,146 for MSI capital.
On the expenses side, Mantay said the municipality has spent about 47 per cent of expected expenditures. This is mainly because many departments have spent less than 50 per cent of their budgets.
"This is pretty typical because a lot of departments do their work in the summer," she said, adding this is especially true for public works capital projects.
She also noted there were two departments that were well above what they usually would have spent at this point in the year, one being protective services with the other being emergency or disaster services.
Mantay said this is because the municipality pays the entire contract for RCMP policing services at the beginning of the year.
As for emergency services, which went well over its $1,500, spending more than $4,000, Mantay said this was due to purchasing emergency/disaster planning kits.
"If there is a disaster, we have (two) kits for all the section managers," she explained, noting the kits are stored at different locations in case one location becomes inaccessible.
The other reason why that department is over budget, Mantay added, is because of added expenses due to the activation of a reception centre at the Barrhead Agrena and curling rink for Swan Hills residents displaced by a wildfire, including $1,700 for free aquatic centre passes for evacuees.
Coun. Ty Assaf asked if Swan Hills will reimburse them for the extra costs.
"Not for the (swim passes). That was a contribution that we gave them," Mantay replied. "But we billed Swan Hills over $20,000 for rental of the arena, salaries, that sort of thing, and they've already paid the invoice."
She added that the town also billed Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) for some of the other expenses the town incurred during the evacuation, such as cellphone SIM cards and damage to a curling rink door.
FCSS headed the reception centre efforts.
"FCSS said they could pay for the pool passes but that they would have to take the funds from donations the community gave to the evacuation effort.
CAO Edward LeBlanc interjected that he was the one who decided to offer the pool passing, noting the passes were a book expense only, saying that no extra expenses were actually incurred by the town.
"It was the neighbourly thing to do, and I did not feel comfortable taking community donations," he said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
