The Community
Press Happy Thanksgiving!
Volume 114, Issue 14
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
$1 Including GST
They’re Back!
SEAN SHEEDY PHOTO
Fall officially started back on Sept. 22, but the true sign of the season started about a week later, as the geese returned to the area in massive flocks. Whether itʼs the skies filled with massive echelons of geese practising their flying formation skills, or the fields full of nighttime honkers, itʼs definitely a sure sign the seasonʼs changed over.
Flagstaff County Council approves 2022 budget Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Earlier this year, Flagstaff County Council voted for an abbreviated schedule for administration to prepare the 2022-26 business plan and budget in an attempt to lessen the burden on a potentially different Council. Council convened on Wednesday, Sept. 22, in their second-last meeting of the present term, where administration presented the draft 2022 budget for their review as the first item on their agenda. Council was advised that the budget was drafted based on priorities outlined in a Council budget workshop held in June. The new budget proposed a modest 1.32 per cent decrease in spending over the 2021 budget, with Finance Officer Deb Brodie noting, “There’s not a lot of change in this budget.” She went on to explain, “In 2020 and 2021, changes were made to the programs and services based on future assumptions made regarding non-residental assessment and the increasing costs in our operating and capital budgets. “In 2021 the province completed a re-
view of the Ministerial guidelines regarding assessment and implemented changes for the next three years. “This budget takes into consideration these changes as well as future modelling for replacement and repair of assets and operating requirements to provide current programs and services.” Highlighted changes of the new budget were: -Moving shelterbelt establishment program participation from a 100 per cent recovery bases to a 50 per cent recovery; -Establishing a new pollinator habitat program; -Providing residential dust suppressant on the arterial road network at no cost to residents; and -A minor change to how the cemetery grants are administered, with annual distribution of funds versus every four years, without changing the total funds allotted. Brodie noted that the proposed budget also included a modest $1 per month increase for the water infrastructure rate, to phase in a fully funded reserve. The biggest change is to the capital budget, with a 36.5 per cent decrease
compared to 2021. “This is based on our long-term plan, decrease in equipment, and reevaluation of replacement of vehicles,” Brodie said. Total expenses for the proposed budget are just over $22 million, Brodie said. “This budget proposes to fund $15,000 of that from reserves, other revenue at just over $2.2 million and tax revenue required will be just over $20 million for 2022.” A minor decrease in tax bad debt is proposed, based on payment agreements currently in place. The provincial police funding agreement resulted in a 12.73 per cent increase in the Police Services Operating budget. Brodie said that this will continue to rise over the next few years. Reeve Don Kroetch noted, “The province has decreased our MSI operating grant, and increased our cost for policing.” The County’s Fire Protection budget shows an overall increase of 18 per cent, Brodie said, “What we’ve included for 2022 is a small amount for wages and benefits until FRESS is fully operational, and also included the County’s portion of the operating portion of the FRESS
agreement that is currently being worked on.” Emergency Management had an overall decrease of 78 per cent. Brodie said the reason for that is, “The rescue unit expenses have been removed as they will go with FRESS, leaving disaster services.” Public Works budget had a proposed 5.4 per cent increase. “Part of the increase is the change to supplying dust control on the arterial road network, test products, and equipment maintenance, and an increase in gravel, equipment, and hauling for our arterial road network maintenance plan.” The budget includes a detailed Public Works project costing budget, with a comparison from 2021 to 2022. An increase of airport operating, of 25 per cent, is attributed to budgeted contracted and general services as in line painting and crack filling, which is on a three-year rotation, Brodie said. The Water Distribution budget showed a large increase, which Brodie attributed to depreciation, noting that the 10-year planned implementation of See BUDGET P19