Town council approves final 2023 town budget

By Rob Vogt
After some adjustments, Claresholm town council has approved the 2023 town budget.
Blair Bullock, the town’s director of corporate services, presented the budget at the April 24 council meeting.
He noted there have been some changes since council approved the interim budget.
Changes to the operating budget were:
• An increase in revenue for municipal purposes, including provincial policing costs, of $30,000. There is a total tax revenue increase of $45,000 with increased requisitions noted below.
• An increase of $36,000 in Porcupine Hills Lodge requisition.
• A net $21,000 decrease in school foundation requisition.
• Municipal Sustainability Initiative operating revenue doubled, meaning an increase of $37,500.
• There is a net increase of approximately $16,000 for wages and benefits across the organization.
The majority of this was due to increased rates in the new union agreement passed since the interim budget.
• An increase of $145,000 in materials, supplies, and operating costs, which is primarily inflationary increases in energy utility costs and fuel costs as well as insurance costs.
• A reduction in expense for tax cancellations and discounts of $20,000 related to a tax incentive agreement being terminated/defaulting.
• An increase in revenue for anticipated sale of asphalt crush of $27,000.
• An approximate $17,000 reduction in budgeted transfers to reserves in water, sewer, and solid waste management to offset the additional costs in those areas.
• A removal of $12,500 of revenue that had been anticipated from the Greater Metro Hockey League for bringing a team to Claresholm. That agreement is no longer being pursued.
• A new Settlement, Integration and Language Projects grant was received, as well as a Northern and Regional Economic Development Program grant were received. This added approximately $142,000 to the 2023 budget with offsetting expenses in wages, professional fees, and other materials, supplies, and operating costs, in addition to some matching funding from land owners and reserves of $46,000.
• The Municipal District of Willow Creek has increased recreation funding being provided to the town by $15,000.
Changes to the capital budget were:
• The sanding truck replacement was carried forward from 2022. This was ordered in 2022 but due to supply shortages/delays, it wasn’t received or paid for until 2023.
• The Amundsen Park plaza and pavilion project was carried forward to finish some site remediation and a few other minor portions of the project that weren’t completed before winter set in.
• The addition of an engineering-only project to facilitate grant funding for the project in 2024. This project is to replace/upsize the primary water mains leaving the water treatment plant, just from the plant out to Eighth Street West.
• The addition of a design-only project of a renovation/expansion of the fire hall, again to facilitate applying for grant funding for the project.
• A grader replacement was removed and a garbage truck replacement was added instead due to changing priorities. The increased repairs and down time of the current garbage truck have made its replacement more urgent.
• The addition of the farm/bulk water fill station replacement project, which is 65 per cent funded by the M.D. The current fill station is down regularly and has outlived its useful life.
• The deferral of the community centre accessibility project due to the project coming in over budget. The deferral allows the town to pursue further grant funding.
• The deferral of the fire pumper truck. It has been ordered but, due to supply shortages, it isn’t scheduled to be completed or delivered until 2024. So the budget for this has been deferred to 2024 to match.
• The deferral of the fleet replacement that as a half-ton pickup truck. Due to price increases on vehicles, and the loss of government rebates on vehicles, prices have increased significantly. This project was deferred due to being over budget.
This was also the second budget year after implementing the new community grants policy, requiring community organizations that receive operational funding from the town, to submit an application-for-funding request, instead of continuing to provide them the same funding as the previous year.
Six applications were received in February which were reviewed by administration and the audit and finance committee.
Funding amounts approved, and included in this budget, are as follows:
• Claresholm Public Library, $178,000.
• Bridges at Claresholm Golf Club, $50,000.
• Claresholm Child Care Society, $25,000.
• Claresholm Animal Rescue Society, $30,000.
• Claresholm Community Centre, $30,000.
• Claresholm Transportation Society, $15,000.
Council then approved the final 2023 budget as presented.