County ratepayers will see a four per cent increase on their tax levy this year, after county council passed the 2012 operating and capital budgets at its Jan. 10 meeting.
Reeve Charles Navratil said he’s happy with how the budget turned out and feels the tax increase is well within an acceptable range considering the cost-of-living increase over the past year.
“In order to provide the same kinds of service you have to account for the cost of living increase,” he said, nothing the increase this year was around 3.5 per cent and the tax increase is just slightly over that. “I think it’s pretty reasonable.”
The tax levy increase does not include possible increases in school board and seniors’ housing requisitions, which will be announced in the coming months.
The total budget expenditures, including both the operating and capital budgets, total about $28 million from the county’s coffers. This includes, essentially, every single expense for 2012.
“I think it’s a responsible budget,” Navratil said. “I’m happy with how the budget went and I’m happy we got our budget prepared when we wanted to — by the end of the year.”
The total operating budget for 2012, which covers all day-to-day expenses like wages, bills for county facilities, emergency services and the like, totals $22.6 million.
Some notable budget increases are in areas of transportation, RCMP services, economic development and the county’s safety program.
The transportation budget increased by $2.1 million, or 43 per cent. The increase includes the costs of the accelerated gravel program and payments for a new grader.
“The biggest thing in Westlock County is roads, and if we don’t have roads people can drive up and down we might as well not exists as Westlock County,” Navratil said.
He added more gravel and another grader will help with construction and road maintenance this coming year.
The RCMP services budget increased about $21,500, or 34 per cent, which covers the cost of the county’s enhanced policing position.
The economic development budget saw a significant increase of $50,000, or 61 per cent, for the community enhancement program.
Finally, the safety program saw a $37,500 increase, a whopping 145 per cent, which covers a full-time safety officer.
There have been some decreases, as well, most notably in the peace officer and planning departments.
The peace officer budget decreased by $47,175, about 30 per cent due in large part to the completion of the rural addressing program.
The planning budget also decreased to the tune of $163,000, about 35 per cent, to account for salary adjustments and the completion of the aerial photos/GIS project.
The total capital budget is about $11 million, with roughly half that coming from county coffers — the rest would be covered through provincial and federal grants.
Roughly half that amount, or $5.6 million, will go to road construction and maintenance projects. Another $1.75 million will go to sewer projects, and $1.2 million will go to water projects.
Machinery, equipment and vehicles makes up $779,000 of the budget, while buildings eat up another $190,000.
The county will put about $700,000 into capital reserves, and another $562,000 will go to capital loan payments.
The 2012 budgets also call for a five per cent increase in the utility rates, as well as an additional fee for occupants of the county’s industrial park south of town to represent that cost of sewer service in that area.
This means the utility rates for hamlet residents will increase by about $2.50 per year, while rates for industrial park occupants will increase by about $21.50 per month.
