I've received many comments of support from the public on my position on the Water Meter Replacement Program that was covered in the local media. I want to clarify that I'm not against the program itself, but rather the timing and how it was unfair to new developments.
At the last council meeting we made an amendment to the Utility Rates Bylaw which delays the charge for new meters until AFTER the Water Meter Replacement Program is complete. This ensures that new developers are not being charged twice for the same thing which was an issue for me and I'm happy that administration reviewed my concern and came back with an amendment.
Our Utilities Supervisor and administration is very well aware of my issues and have worked hard to keep me informed on the progress of the project which is already underway. I'm happy to hear that our utilities department is not just going out and replacing meters... they are actually looking at each building to make sure the right sized meter is installed and that everything is working properly. This will increase efficiency and ensure that the end user is being billed correctly based on usage. I'm confident this project is being carried out properly.
OPERATIONAL BUDGET
I've heard many comments from people who say, "I pay my taxes and all I get is my snow plowed once a year!" It's interesting that people relate the amount of times snow removal happens in their neighbourhood to how much in taxes they pay. I guess a grader is one of the most tangible things that can be seen in a neighbourhood that is funded through municipal tax dollars. The reality is there are some huge costs associated to running a municipality. Everything from street lights, recreation to policing cost the municipality a huge amount of money. Policing for example has a $2.2 Million dollar price tag on its own this year for the Town of Edson.
About a 1/3 of all tax dollars collected by the Town get transferred to Schools & the Evergreen Foundation for education and seniors. Not all of the money collected goes to the Town of Edson for municipal purposes. Many people don't realize that.
Below is a break down of our Interim Operational Budget which is directly funded through municipal tax revenue as well as other sources of income. Items in our Capital Budget are not funded directly through municipal taxes as they are paid through Grants, Reserves and Debentures. I've covered our Capital Budget in a previous blog which you can review by clicking here.
We are projecting a 5% overall tax increase in 2012... 3.5% due to debenture payments for the Medical Clinic with the remaining to cover increased insurance, staffing and other incremental costs.
EXPENSES
2012 Interim 2011 Final Budget
LEGISLATIVE (Council)
$ 229 425 $ 222 425 (Up due to increased communication expenses)
$ 229 425 $ 222 425 (Up due to increased communication expenses)
ADMINISTRATION
$1 585 409 $1 887 545 (Down due to completion of Centennial Celebrations)
PROTECTIVE SERVICES
$3 360 096 $3 204 471 (Up mostly due to increased RCMP contract costs)
ROADS, STREETS & EQUIP
$4 348 902 $4 279 400 (Up due to filling a vacant position & wages)
UTILITIES
$4 038 089 $3 502 759 (Up due to increases to wages & airport operations)
PUBLIC HEALTH & WELFARE
$ 545 800 $ 535 055 (No significant change)
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
$ 562 428 $ 577 120 (No significant change)
RECREATION & PARKS
$3 661 753 $3 699 248 (Down due to less studies & less major maintenance)
CULTURE
$ 545 456 $1 900 767 (Down due to Museum Construction being complete)
TOTAL $18 877 358 $19 808 800
REVENUE
NET TAXES $9
732 418 $9 299 351
OPERATING
TRANSFERS $3
032 799 $3 479 286
SALES &
USER CHARGE $4
002 600 $3 763 892
RETURN ON INVESTMENTS $ 50 750 $ 40 500
PENALTIES & COSTS ON TAXES $ 111 500 $ 108 000
LICENSES AND PERMITS $ 93 200 $ 93 200
FINES $ 629 000 $ 627 000
FRANCHISE FEES $ 566 146 $ 566 146
RENTALS & LEASES $ 341 607 $ 330 407
DEVELOPMENT LEVIES $ 30 000 $ 30 000
CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTIONS $ 0 $ 265 660
TOTAL $18 590 029 $18 693 442
The 2012 numbers are only interim numbers and will be adjusted at the Final Budget in the spring. We do not have final 2011 bills in or assessment numbers in at the end of the year but are required to pass a budget before Dec 31st. If you have any questions or concerns, post them below or email me direct, kevinz@townofedson.ca
On a final note I'd like to congratulation Ian Duncan on being Mayor Elect for the Town of Hinton. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Duncan and have served with him on the Community Futures over the last year and know that Hinton will be very well served with Ian as their Mayor. I also wish Glenn Taylor all the best in his role with the Alberta Party. Glenn has done a lot of good things for Hinton over the years. All the best of luck to both of you.
Please share this blog with your friends. The reason I blog is to share information and open up dialogue with the public and want to ensure that people are aware they can come to this page to get updated on issues and get in depth information on issues. You can sign up to be automatically messaged via email, when my blog is updated. Just look for the option on the left hand side of this page.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!
Kevin
RETURN ON INVESTMENTS $ 50 750 $ 40 500
PENALTIES & COSTS ON TAXES $ 111 500 $ 108 000
LICENSES AND PERMITS $ 93 200 $ 93 200
FINES $ 629 000 $ 627 000
FRANCHISE FEES $ 566 146 $ 566 146
RENTALS & LEASES $ 341 607 $ 330 407
DEVELOPMENT LEVIES $ 30 000 $ 30 000
CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTIONS $ 0 $ 265 660
TOTAL $18 590 029 $18 693 442
The 2012 numbers are only interim numbers and will be adjusted at the Final Budget in the spring. We do not have final 2011 bills in or assessment numbers in at the end of the year but are required to pass a budget before Dec 31st. If you have any questions or concerns, post them below or email me direct, kevinz@townofedson.ca
On a final note I'd like to congratulation Ian Duncan on being Mayor Elect for the Town of Hinton. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Duncan and have served with him on the Community Futures over the last year and know that Hinton will be very well served with Ian as their Mayor. I also wish Glenn Taylor all the best in his role with the Alberta Party. Glenn has done a lot of good things for Hinton over the years. All the best of luck to both of you.
Please share this blog with your friends. The reason I blog is to share information and open up dialogue with the public and want to ensure that people are aware they can come to this page to get updated on issues and get in depth information on issues. You can sign up to be automatically messaged via email, when my blog is updated. Just look for the option on the left hand side of this page.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!
Kevin
