By Shaun Penner

Proposed 1.5% tax increase

Grande Prairie City Council begins 2021 municipal budget deliberations Thursday

Nov 12, 2020 | 5:30 AM

Grande Prairie City Council will be kicking off two days of deliberations over the 2021 City budget Thursday morning.

The budget presented by administration proposes a 1.5 per cent increase in municipal taxes for next year over this year, which reflects maintaining services, adjusting for inflation, growth, service changes, capital projects, and the impacts of COVID-19, according to administration’s report.

Mayor Bill Given says the proposed budget reflects a below zero per cent tax increase from 2017, when this council first took office.

“I think the top line story in this is that, even with the budget that is being presented, if council made no changes, property taxes in Grande Prairie would still be less in 2021 than they were in 2017,” said Given.

“This council has done the hard work of doing a reset on city services and property taxes, a couple of years ago having that 4.1 per cent reduction in property taxes, and that means that over the course of this term, we are going to be able to deliver an overall reduction in property taxes.”

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The tabled budget contains an operating budget of approximately $217M, of which $30M is allocated to requisitions including schools, Downtown Association and Grande Spirit Foundation. There is also $128 million in the proposed capital budget, including the $55 million renovation to Revolution Place.

Given notes that Grande Prairie residents can expect a significant amount of capital construction projects to come in 2021 with this budget.

“I think residents need to be prepared for an extensive capital construction season next year,” said Given. “Both with the City’s investment of property tax dollars in roads and sidewalk improvements, but also with the really substantial provincial and federal investments in terms of infrastructure, in response to the COVID pandemic.”

Given encourages any and all Grande Prairie residents to tune in to council’s deliberations on Thursday and Friday, which can be viewed on the City’s YouTube channel.

“I expect it will be a good opportunity for the public to be able to watch how city governments have the most transparency of any level of government in Canada,” said Given. “All of our budget decisions are made in full view of the public, with council members voting for and against things they want to see in the budget.”

“It’s a real difference from our provincial or federal governments, where the budgets are made behind closed doors.”

The full 2021 budget, as presented by City administration, can be viewed here.