BONNYVILLE – The Town of Bonnyville’s 2023 operating and capital budgets appear to be in line with regular housekeeping while maintaining commitments previously made during this year’s budget deliberations, as well as council’s strategic priorities.
The Town’s final 2023 budgets were introduced and approved by council during a regular council meeting on April 25.
While most expense and revenue sources remained relatively the same between the passing of the interim budgets and the final 2023 budgets, noticeable changes did translate to a rise in both final budgets.
The Town’s total 2023 final operational budget is just over $30.4 million, the interim budget passed in December anticipated an operating budget of $23.3 million.
On the capital side, the interim capital budget grew from an anticipated $16.4 million to $21.1 million of revenue being set aside for capital projects in 2023.
The Town’s capital budget includes $6.6 million in grant funding, $8 million in transfers from reserve, $5.6 million of debenture funding, $84,000 from local improvement tax and $729,000 from 2019-20 ID 349 funding, which is deferred revenue for carryover projects.
Referencing the town’s capital budget, Town of Bonnyville’s CAO Bill Rogers told council, “We'll see approximately $21 million invested in crucial core and value-added capital projects in the community.”
Listing highlights from the capital and operating budgets, Rogers included the initial architectural designs and financial planning for the proposed aquatic centre, which grants have been applied for, and continued improvements to the Jessie Lake Trail system.
During the year, the municipality will be carrying out several projects related to Jessie Lake.
The final phases of the Jessie Trail Light project will finish lighting the entire north side of the trail from Guerneville Road to Little Leap Splash Park. This comes with a $863,210 price tag that had been anticipated in previous budgets.
In addition, the lowering of Jessie Lake water levels is also planned for this year, with most of the preparation work and permitting having already been completed to help manage current lake levels.
“Monitoring lake levels will help us proceed with planning for the future repair of portions of trail which are currently underwater,” the CAO said.
Budget 2023 also includes funds to allow for the design and construction of a new municipal reservoir. However, plans to decommission the old reservoir have been put on hold after grant funding did not receive approval. Administration will reapply for the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership grant for the project.
Crosswalk lights on 50th Avenue and 37 Street are also expected to be completed this year, as well as a picnic and rest area along Iron Horse Trail. The Iron Horse Trail project is estimated to cost $23,460.
2023 operating budget
To balance the Town’s $30.4 million operating budget, $320,835 was pulled from the operating reserve.
A two per cent tax increase will translate to a total tax revenue estimated at roughly $8.3 million for 2023. This increase from the interim budget is due to an increase in assessments as well as inflation changes and growth in some assessment classes, Renee Stoyles, the general manager of corporate services, told council.
Stoyles noted that there was also an increase in the Town’s Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) operating grant which doubled, seeing about $58,000 more funding this year.
The municipality learned they were also on the hook for a $355,000 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) invoice for the RCMP. That money was pulled from reserves.
The Town’s fire contract has also increased this year due to renovation costs for the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority’s new building, as well as operating costs for the Town’s shop to cover security patrols.
The one-time donation to the Clayton Bellamy Foundation and the 2025 donation of $150,000 to the Football Association remains in the Town’s 2023 operating budget.
Changes in tax requisitions
For the 2023 tax year, the school tax requisition has decreased by $96,000. As a result, the actual school tax for residential properties will decrease by 5.65 per cent. The school tax for non-residential properties will see a slight increase of 0.09 per cent.
“There has also been a reduction in assessment for school purposes for non-residential properties, which requires a corresponding mill rate increase, which will be part of the tax rate bylaw coming in May,” Stoyles noted.
A small increase for Lakeland Lodge and Housing requisition will affect both residential and non-residential properties. The overall impact is a 1.72 per cent increase for residential properties and 2.43 per cent for non-residential properties.
Meanwhile, the municipality is seeing a benefit of an increase in interest revenue based on current interest rates.
Rising waters in Jessie Lake
For the last four years, vast sections of the Jessie Lake Trail system have been underwater. This ongoing issue is one of the larger projects to be tackled during the Town’s 2023 budget.
Rogers told Lakeland This Week that the rising water has caused the roots of trees to rot and fall, with many others having to be removed along the lake shore for public safety.
He noted that the water levels never used to be so high and now water is washing over parts of the trail system.
“We need to reclaim our lake a little bit so that we can repair our trails and get everything back to the historical water levels,” said Rogers. “It won't harm anything by doing it, but that will give a lot of enjoyment back for residents.”
The Town’s administration has been in contact with the province’s Department of Environment and Protected Areas over the last year to investigate lowering the water levels of Jessie Lake.
“This is something that was prepared for many years ago, we just never had to do it,” said Rogers. “There's a pump house already installed on the east side of the lake and all the downstream drainage channel rights are owned by the Town of Bonnyville.”
Having the green light from the province, the Town is set to divert water from Jessie Lake this spring. Surveyors will be used to make sure Jessie Lake’s historic water levels are maintained.
“We're hoping to get enough of the trail exposed that we can start investigating repairing it,” added Rogers.
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