Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

Potential tax increase reduced after Day 2 of city budget talks

Nov 17, 2023 | 6:00 AM

City Hall budget talks continue Friday with a lower projected property tax than when talks started on Wednesday.

Cuts have reduced the amount needed to be funded from taxes by $1.25 million. That means the projected tax increase is now at 4.9 per cent.

Mayor Jackie Clayton says council does not intend to “raise taxes arbitrarily.”

“Every decision that’s made at budget deliberations takes long, serious discussion and debate to prioritize services and capital improvements in our community.”

Clayton says that council will continue to try to reduce the potential tax increase.

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“Without significant impact to the services that we offer. We’re very proud of what our community offers on a day-to-day basis and those services, those amenities come with a cost. Council will fight hard to keep those costs in check and as low as possible.”

Some of the bigger operational reductions included a $758,000 cut in spending on staffing changes. As well, gravel maintenance was reduced by $112,000; ball diamond renewal by $25,000; and dust suppression was cut by $50,000.

Reductions in capital project spending included $500,000 on pedestrian links and another $500,000 for playground amenities.

Clayton says while there were a lot of close votes, there were no heated arguments among council members.

“This council is very engaged in the community. We, in that regard, do discuss and debate and still (continue to) have respect for each other.”

“We’re continually congenial, but there are times when people disagree on what should be funded and what shouldn’t (but) at the end of the day, we walk all away from the table and (no matter) what the vote was, we get behind it and support it.”

Councillor Wade Pilat made a motion to reduce the $15.7 million dollar budget for existing roads by $2 million. This item includes things like resurfacing and fixing part of what used to be Highway 43. More discussion on this will take place Friday.

The Grande Prairie Public Library was given a five per cent funding increase for 2024, an amount that works out to just under $87,000. Library officials had gone to council earlier this fall to ask for a 10 per cent increase.

Council voted to fund the Public Security Unit for six months at a cost of $277,000. The original budget had been for a full year at $554,000. This sees contracted security people used to supplement regular law enforcement.

Council also decided, in a unanimous vote to add $100,00 to the asphalt maintenance budget as a boost to spending on sealing cracks in pavement