In the end, the approval of Lac La Biche County's 2014 budget was relatively swift.
In the end, the approval of Lac La Biche County's 2014 budget was relatively swift.
After more than four months of deliberations, County Council approved both the operational and capital budgets in eight separate motions and less than ten minutes on Thursday, bringing the long-running financial discussions that began in December to an end.
There followed a round of applause from County administrators, several of whom have changed positions over the course of the budgeting process as Council's goals and bureaucratic needs have shifted.
Mayor Aurel Langevin then thanked Council for approving what senior managers have dubbed the municipality's single most important document.
"We finally adopted our budget for 2014," Langevin later told members of the media. "It is approved and it is a very workable budget."
The County's operational revenues are expected to total more than $63.7 million, while operational expenses will be approximately $50.1 million, resulting in an operational surplus of over $13.1 million.
Langevin pointed to the surplus as proof that Council has cobbled together a fiscally responsible budget while still delivering the services that residents expect.
"We're in good shape," he said. "It's even better than a balanced budget."
The County's net surplus, after all forecasted revenues and expenses have been accounted for, is approximately $2 million.
Projected capital revenue is almost $8.4 million. Capital spending will outweigh that at nearly $19.3 million.
As detailed in a summary of the budget provided to the POST, Council has chosen to invest in more than 50 different projects throughout the year.
Some of the more costly projects include Beaver Hill Road construction ($1.5 million), water and sewer installation near Claude Lake, east of the hamlet of Lac La Biche ($1.15 million) and a gravity sewer alongside Highway 55 ($4.4 million).
According to Langevin, highlights of the capital budget include equipment replacement and investment in roads and streets.
"We're trying to focus on essential services," he said. "We're trying to look at, 'What are the core services we provide to residents, how can we improve on those services and even add to them as the taxpayers desire?'"
Noteworthy pieces of equipment accounted for in the budget are replacements for construction and maintenance vehicles like graders and loaders, an assortment of new vehicles and a breathing apparatus compressor for the County's protective services department.
Councillors have been more diligent than usual in scrutinizing the budget this year. In the very first round of budget deliberations in December, councillors balked when they learned that senior administrators were proposing borrowing millions of dollars annually.
Roy Brideau, who was the County's chief administrative officer (CAO) at the time, assured councillors that developmental revenue would more than offset the costs of borrowing, but several of them were unconvinced.
Four months later, Council was still reviewing the finer points of the budget. Along the way, Brideau was fired without cause and general manager of operations Jeff Lawrence was named acting CAO, but he has since stepped down from that role.
After the budget had been approved at last, Langevin defended the lengthier-than-average deliberations, saying Council needed to become intimately familiar with the budget in order to make informed decisions regarding the County's financial future.
"We spent enough time going through to ensure that we covered everything," he said. "If there are things that we did miss, with the surplus that we've got, we do have the opportunity to look at some other things for expenditures, should the need arise."
"In hindsight, it's probably a good thing that we did this," he added.
The increased operational surplus is a result of Council voting to have the operational budget reduced by 15 per cent in March. Administrators complied and departmental expenses were combed through to find efficiencies.
The mayor says that this budgeting process has been unique and has given councillors the opportunity to delve into the municipality's finances.
"I think now that Council has gone through this budget at this level of detail, we won't need to go through at that level in successive years," he said.
According to a news release issued by the County late last week, the hiring freeze imposed on municipal departments at the beginning of this year is set to be lifted. Council has already voted to allow the hiring of seasonal student workers.
"The final step in the budget process will be for Council to set tax rates over the next few weeks, before notices are sent to ratepayers in May," the release reads.
