Potential 2023 tax increase at 1.71% as city hall budget talks conclude

“At 1.71, we are still offering great amenities, adding infrastructure, improving roads, increasing the opportunity for providing a safer community while keeping things fiscally responsible.”

“We know that many municipalities across the province are seeing at least a three per cent increase.”

Council voted to reduce the budget for fixing roads by $1 million. Of that, $916,000 would have come from taxation, the rest from reserve funds.

Clayton says there will still be over $19 million worth of road work done in 2023.

“The intent with council (was) we’ve heard people, and we hear you when you say commuting through our community is difficult when construction is substantial.”

“Over the past few years, many of the projects haven’t necessarily just been the city’s. There has been warranty work at intersections that have significant impact on your commuting, but it’s work that we’re not paying for.”

Clayton says stormwater work or projects done by Aquatera can also interrupt commuters.

That $1 million will be moved to the 2024 budget when there is less money set aside for road work. She is hoping that will ease some of what she terms “construction fatigue.”

Clayton says she understands that any increase is still an increase.

Councillors voted in favour of having city staff compile a report on how taxation in Grande Prairie compares to other cities of similar size.

“I know this council and previous councils have worked very hard to keep pressure on operational expenses, keep pressure on administration for the capital demands and expectations and we’ve done a very good job.”

“I would estimate that over the past six years now, we’ve had approximately (a) two per cent tax increase overall in six years.”

Clayton says there are other Alberta municipalities that have had double-digit tax increases.

The budget still has to go to the November 28 meeting of city council for final approval. The potential increase would only be on the municipal portion of the property tax bill. The education portion is decided by the province.

Some additions were also made to the budget on Day 4. Those include:

– $200,000 for the Salvation Army. Officials from the Food Bank had come to council in October to ask for money to help pay for food that did not come in during the annual Food Drive. The Salvation Army says 19 per cent of the people in Grande Prairie used the Food Bank in 2021. The money would come from a reserve fund.

– Council agreed to add a total of $240,000 for its Urban Forest Strategy. $140,000 of that money will go towards planting trees at the north and west entrance signs. The rest is for the development of an Urban Forest Plan.

– $62,500 has been added for a fire training grounds, a joint project with the County of Grande Prairie and the MD of Greenview.

– $500,000 is going towards sound buffering for the combined heat and power units at the Eastlink Centre. The noise has led to complaints from people who live nearby. The money will come from a reserve fund.

– Using up to $1.1 million from reserve funds for upgrades at Legion Field. A delegation from the Peace Country Wolves athletic club had gone to council in July, saying it hoped to host the 2024 provincial high school track and field championships, but that it would have to fix up Legion Field first. That would include work on the long jump and high jump areas. These repairs would also be needed to host regional events.

– There has been $115,000 added to have a climbing wall in a city facility. Councillors thought that the city could add some money while the local user group could also come up with the rest. Two ideas have been looked at. One is an 896-square-foot wall at the Eastlink Centre between the fieldhouse and racquetball courts at a cost of $84,000. The other is a 2400-square-foot one at the Activity and Reception Centre. It would cost $225,000.

– $28,500 will go towards a feasibility study at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre. Councillors want to look at making use of the centre year-round. It is a city-owned building.

– Council agreed to add $19,500 to the capital funding it gives to Nitehawk.

by Curtis Galbraith

Potential 2023 tax increase at 1.71% as city hall budget talks conclude

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