The Municipal District of Bighorn has passed its 2015 operating and capital budgets.
The operating budget is just over $4.9 million with the capital budget just over $3 million.
Councillors unanimously passed the total budget at the regular board meeting on Dec. 9. The approval included a $1.7 million amortization of Bighorn’s capital assets and an increase in the operating and capital budget over 2014 of 2.42 per cent that results in a 4.59 per cent net tax requirement over 2014.
Bighorn Reeve Dene Cooper said with that kind of requirement it was a “challenging budget to put in place.
“Maybe the most important thing is the long-term flood costs are not in that budget yet. So it was challenging this year and I anticipate even more challenging next,” Cooper said.
“What is obvious in this budget is that the MD has to now have a look at its road network and bring the roads up to suitable standard of repair before they depreciate further and the costs are even higher. The idea in this budget is to get at our road network and get it built back up to standard.”
Bighorn’s operating budget will see $982,198 towards road upgrades throughout the MD. Cooper said it’s a major task to maintain and reestablish the MD roads will continue over the next decade and it will cost considerably more.
A significant expenditure in this capital budget, Cooper said, is $275,000 for fire services “to better protect those who protect us.”
Dead Man’s Flats will see an increase in wastewater services over other hamlets in the operating budget with $107,267 allocated. The hamlet is undergoing a major development phase that will include 77 residential lots, 28 townhome units and 15 light-industrial/commercial lots.
It is shaping up to be a banner year for development in Ward 2’s Dead Man’s but Cooper says each of the four MD wards will have “fairly major activity” in 2015.
Other highlights in the operating budget include: $104,933 for FCSS; $155,305 in bylaw enforcement and $158,272 for recreation and culture.
Rural minimum tax increased
Municipal District of Bighorn councillors were hesitant to bring forward a motion and vote to raise the minimum tax by $5 for rural residents, but ultimately the decision was made.
During the regular meeting Dec. 9, councillors unanimously approved bumping Bighorn’s minimum tax from $35 to $40 for 2015 “to better align the revenues with the costs of assessment and tax notice preparation.”
The increase will affect rural areas of Bighorn, mostly in the eastern slope. The increase is suspected to produce approximately $5,000.
“The rural areas have had a minimum tax of $35, but it was increased to $40 and it hasn’t been increased for more than a half dozen years. So the cost of assessing these properties has increased and the minimum tax had not followed suit and it was time to catch up,” said Bighorn Reeve Dene Cooper.
