Bonnyville - Some residents along 48 Avenue in Bonnyville may see a new charge on their taxes to help pay for the repaving of a back lane.
Town of Bonnyville councillors gave first reading on Sept. 14 to a bylaw that would bring in a local improvement tax for all property owners who directly benefit from the repaving of the back alley between 41 and 42 Street.
The total cost of the project amounts to $181,450. The town would cover $145,160 of the cost, while owners would pay for the remaining $36,290 over the course of 10 years.
There are 24 affected property owners. Councillors heard that 13 of them responded positively to the proposal, while four responded negatively. The town did not hear back from six of them. The town is also a property owner along that lane.
Property owners will pay about $14.35 per year for each metre of the lane that affects them.
The tax is expected to come back to council for second and third readings in October.
Day-long event planned for Truth and Reconciliation
Bonnyville is donating $500 to cover part of the costs of a day-long Truth and Reconciliation event that’s planned for Sept. 30.
On Sept. 14, councillors voted unanimously to help fund the event, which is being held by the Grassroots Movement Committee. Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and the group is planning workshops, music, dancing and an orange shirt walk at Notre Dame High School, depending on what COVID-19 restrictions are in place on the date.
The event’s estimated costs amount to $3,500, the rest of which will be paid for through fundraising.
Bylaw to help even out tax jumps
The Town of Bonnyville is aiming to even out big jumps and dips in property taxes for multi-family homes.
On Sept. 14, town councillors voted to move multi-family homes into their own tax assessment class. That will allow them to adjust the mill rate for these homes, to help offset big tax dollar changes brought on by economic fluctuations in the Lakeland area.
Councillors heard from the town's general manager of corporate services, Renee Stoyles, that even though the town passed a zero-per-cent tax increase this year, big fluctuations in the amount of money multi-family homes were assessed at would have meant big tax hikes.
“The assessments for multi-family went up 8.19 per cent alone, so the tax increase would have went up as well, a lot more than zero – it would have went up about 10 per cent,” Stoyles explained.
Meanwhile, residential assessments dropped. That means council was able to tweak the mill rate, increasing it for residential and lowering it for multi-family, to achieve the zero-per-cent tax increase.
The town had a bylaw in place previously for this exact item, but has to pass a new one every year.
Councillors passed the first reading of the bylaw. It will come back for second and third readings at a later date.
No increase to franchise fee
At least one portion of Bonnyville residents’ utility bills won’t go up this year.
Town councillors decided on Sept. 14 that they won’t increase the annual franchise fee the town collects through ATCO Electric.
Franchise fees are costs municipalities charge to power companies, usually to let the power company use municipal right-of-ways. The companies then charge that back to their customers in the form of distribution fees.
The current franchise fee is 6.8 per cent.
The town will receive about $513,000 in franchise fees from ATCO Electric this year, money that goes back into general coffers and helps reduce the amount of property tax the town needs to collect every year.
It’s the equivalent of about a five- or six-per-cent tax increase, explained Mayor Gene Sobolewski.
Councillors heard that revenue from the ATCO Electric fee has steadily risen over the years. Next year, the town expects to get about $66,000 more than this year.
