File photo of Coaldale's Civic Square. Coaldale Town Council has formally approved its 2024-2026 Operating and 2024-2028 Capital budgets, December 11, 2023. (Photo: LNN)

By Justin Goulet

Coaldale council approves operating and capital budgets

Dec 13, 2023 | 11:41 AM

COALDALE, AB – Coaldale Town Council approved its 2024-2026 Operating and 2024-2028 Capital budgets at its meeting on December 11, 2023.

Each year, council is required to pass a balanced budget. To balance its 2024-2026 Operating Budget, officials said council needed to find an additional $506,240 in revenue. The town said the need for the additional funding was primarily due to high inflation. Town of Coaldale staff presented council with two options, both of which included increasing property taxes/franchise fees.

In the end, council approved a 2.65 per cent residential and 3.89 per cent non-residential property tax increase, a two per cent increase in franchise fees for natural gas and electricity, and a 3.9 per cent utility rate increase to keep pace with rising operating costs and infrastructure projects deemed critical.

With the increases, the financial impact on a $400,000 home will amount to $15.63 per month, or $187.56 per year. Officials said the extra revenues will go towards the following:

Municipal services ($10.46 per month):

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• New personal protective equipment for the Coaldale Fire Department
• Additional investments in the Town’s Community Services and Municipal Enforcement Program
• Funding for the increased operational costs of the Town’s municipal utility program (water, storm, sanitary and waste collection).
• Inflationary pressures associated with maintaining service levels and the fulfilment of council’s strategic plan
• Coaldale’s participation in the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program
• The replacement of aging financial management software

Capital investment ($5.17 per month):

• Completion of Coaldale’s new multi-use recreation facility
• Construction of a new potable water reservoir and pump station
• Construction of the outdoor space behind Civic Square
• Renovations at the Coaldale Public Library and the Coaldale Seniors Centre
• Construction of the Town’s Malloy 2(B)(1) storm water project
• Upgrades to Coaldale’s Sanitary Truck Line
• Construction of an at-grade pedestrian crossing at the corner of Highway 3 & Land O’ Lakes Drive
• An annual road rehabilitation program, beginning in 2025
• Renovation of Coaldale’s Skate Park in 2025

Coaldale mayor Jack Van Rijn said, “Inflation is impacting every town and city across Canada, and Coaldale is no different. We’re seeing a universal rise in the cost of goods and services, forcing many municipalities into a situation where they either have to hike property taxes or cut services to manage their budgets.”

He continued, “Fortunately, our council and Town staff continue to navigate this challenge in a fiscally responsible and relatively successful manner.”

Van Rijn added, “Unlike a lot of municipalities in Alberta, we’ve managed to preserve existing service levels without imposing a major hike in property taxes. At the same time, we’ve been able to put forward a robust capital budget that continues to address many of the priorities laid out in our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, and that’s largely financed through grants and Town reserves.”

READ MORE: Coaldale boasts low municipal government costs in new analysis

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