If approved by council, the municipality鈥檚 draft operating budget for 2014 would result in a 6.38 per cent tax increase, as well as an increase of 15 per cent for water rates, 5.2 per cent for sewage rates and four per cent for solid waste fees.
On the average utility bill, the increases to water, sewer and solid waste would equate to an annual increase of $46.
On Dec. 11, council, administration and six members of the public discussed the budgets for the protective services, culture and recreation and family and community support services departments.
Outlined below is a brief overview of the increases or decreases for each department and the justifications provided by each municipal director.
Protective Services
Protective services is proposing a budget with a 2.3 per cent decrease in spending for 2014. That equates to $16,217 less than the previous year.
The total budget for the department, which encompasses emergency management, bylaw, the fire department and health and safety programming for the municipality, is about $1.107 million.
鈥淭he proposed budget we have in front of us, I think, will allow us to provide at the very least the same and in some cases a higher level of service as we have presently and in the past,鈥� said Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem of his budget. 鈥淚鈥檓 confident in our ability to meet all of our goals and objectives and challenges and opportunities.鈥�
During his presentation, Van Tighem highlighted the challenges facing the department, most of which include capital expenses that will crop up over the next four years.
Some of those include repairs to the Emergency Services Building, the replacement of a fire engine and the need to partner with the operations department to assess Jasper鈥檚 waterlines to ensure there are no dead end hydrants.
Council will discuss the capital budget in the new year.
Family and Community Support Services
The budget for family and community support services (FCSS) is greatly funded by provincial grants, with only $371,215 of its more than $1.85 million budget coming from the municipality last year.
In the proposed budget for 2014, FCSS is requesting a 3.1 per cent increase from the municipality, bringing that figure up to $382,814. That increase would allow the department to maintain its existing service levels.
Kathleen Waxer, director of FCSS, noted that this year鈥檚 overall budget is less than last year because of the loss of a grant for a young adult outreach worker, leaving only one for that life stage, as well as one for each of the other five stages.
The department鈥檚 total budget for 2014 is about $1.8 million.
Most of the funding from the municipality goes toward subsidizing the cost of daycare and after school care. When asked how many children benefit from that funding, Waxer responded, 鈥渙n any given day there鈥檚 approximately 55 children in the daycare centre and another 50 in out of school care.鈥�
Culture and Recreation
The proposed budget for culture and recreation includes line items for a number of repairs and modifications, equating to an overall increase of $68,597. That is a 5.6 per cent increase over the department鈥檚 2013 budget.
Included on the list are modifications to the arena condenser ($6,000) and to the electric truck for ice removal ($4,000). There are also repairs to the air phone system at the aquatic centre ($6,000) and to the centre鈥檚 chlorine equipment ($6,000).
If approved, the budget will also include $7,000 for an inspection of the structural beams in the aquatic centre to make sure they鈥檙e structurally sound.
Yvonne McNabb, director of culture and recreation, explained that these projects are necessary to maintain the town鈥檚 aging recreation buildings.
As well as the proposed budget increase, there will be a four per cent increase to fees for the gym, aquatic centre, arena, multi-purpose hall and other rentals.
The proposed 2014 operating budget of $13,739,462 was adopted as an interim budget at the Dec. 17 meeting of council.
To read about council鈥檚 discussion, including the conditions it placed on the interim budget, pick up the Dec. 26 issue of the 51暗网. To review the proposed budget, visit the municipal website (jasper-alberta.com) and click 鈥淏udget 2014鈥� on the right hand side.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
