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Thursday, November 29, 2018
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North Battleford budget proposal
4.0 per cent more in taxes, 4.5 per cent more for water/sewer By John Cairns Staff Reporter
The 2019 budget document made public at North Battleford City Hall Monday calls for a four per cent increase in property taxes and a 4.5 per cent increase in utility rates for water and sewer. As well, the budget is proposing continuation of the city’s Underground
Sports Hockey roundup Page 14
News
Forum on gangs and drugs Page 3
Rural
Hafford youth third in Canada Page 17
Pipe and Asphalt Replacement program, with a planned investment of $3.3 million for 2019 – no change from last year. According to the message from the new finance director, Steve Brown, in the budget document, the city faces “significant financial challenges” due to a slow economy putting pressure on land sales, high interest costs incurred for past capital projects, and property assessment challenges for 2019. Other opportunities for 2019, according to Brown, are continuous improvement implementation, electronic water metering and long-term infrastructure planning. This is, at the moment, the proposed operational and capital budget being offered by administration to council. Council must still go through the budget and ultimately will have the final say on whether to approve the budget as presented, or make changes. The first night of deliberations was scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 28, with presentations from those agencies seeking third-party grants. More deliberations are
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The increases, since 2014:
Taxes
3.0 % 2018 2017 *3.0+3.0 % 2.5 % 2016 4.5 % 2015 5.99 %
2014
Water and sewer 4.5 % 4.5 % 4.6 % 5.0 % water 3.0 % sewer 5.0 % water 4.0 % sewer
*Additional 3% “Government of Sask. Downloading Levy” added in spring in wake of provincial budget cuts.
scheduled for Monday, Dec. 3 and Thursday, Dec. 6 before the budget is expected to go back to council Dec. 10. The Monday budget session is set to include discussion of general governance, fire and protective services, and water and sewer. The Thursday session is expected to include the key areas of leisure services, infrastructure services and planning and development. Deliberation sessions are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. each night and are open to the public.
Consternation was expressed at the meeting of North Battleford city council Monday over the prospect of liquor retailers being able to privately sell their liquor permits. “I wonder if … the cannabis permits are now for sale,” said Councillor Len Taylor, above. The answer to that question, Mayor Ryan Bater responded, was yes. See inside for the full story. Photo by John Cairns
Fatal collision on Hwy 16 Staff
A woman has been killed in a collision on Highway 16. RCMP report that on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at approximately 10:40 a.m. Battlefords RCMP were called to a multiple vehicle collision on Highway 16 one km west of the Battlefords. An eastbound vehicle lost control, crossed the centre median and struck a westbound vehicle. As
a result of the collision, a 25-year-old female passenger of the eastbound vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene. A 26-year-old male, two-year-old child of the eastbound vehicle and a 29-year-old female of the westbound vehicle were all transported to Battlefords Union Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. RCMP, EMS, Battleford Fire Department and North
Battleford Community Safety Officers attended the scene to maintain traffic control while an RCMP collision analyst attended. While RCMP have not indicated a cause for the collision, the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline describes conditions that include icy, slippery sections or swirling snow. The westbound lane of Highway 16 was closed temporarily.
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