Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Curtis Galbraith

Municipal Politics

County of Grande Prairie Council approves interim budget

Dec 9, 2019 | 4:30 AM

County of Grande Prairie Council has approved an interim 2020 budget that includes a one per cent tax increase for all properties and a $3.4-million deficit.

When three days of talks started Wednesday, the potential tax increase was 2.5 percent and the projected deficit was at $5.7-million.

Reeve Leanne Beaupre says a number of things brought those numbers down.

“By deferring some of our capital projects, finding some cost in capital expenses and receiving some expense reimbursement we had for deploying resources for the Chuckegg Creek wildfire. We also did use some of our Municipal Sustainability Initiative reserves.”

The budget will not be made final until April. Beaupre says the County is still awaiting word from the province on grants and if those will be reduced.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

63 per cent of the $65.3-million set aside for capital projects will be spent on roads and bridges.

Beaupre adds these are always one of the biggest initiatives the County has to work on.

“Councillors are very passionate about the roads because they hear that from their ratepayers on a regular basis. We’ve been looking at which roads (will be done). We have a Transportation Master Plan and it identifies which roads need to be upgraded, which ones have had their life cycle come to an end.”

There is also money to add two Enhanced Policing members a the Beaverlodge RCMP detachment. Enhanced means the entire cost is paid by the municipality.

Beaupre says this is being done because of concerns over rural crime.

“Not saying that the rural crime is worse in the west part of the County, but these two members, when they arrive, will be able to have more of a focus on the west part, giving some relief to the other members to be able to concentrate their efforts on the rest of the County of Grande Prairie.”

The County will now pay for eight enhanced RCMP members.

There is also $5-million for new projects that include a new water treatment plant in La Glace, a new sewer line, and stormwater drainage along 156 Avenue in Clairmont and to buy land for industrial development.