By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

New rec levy, but no tax increase for Coaldale homeowners

Nov 27, 2018 | 10:08 AM

COALDALE – No tax increase for Coaldale homeowners, but they could be paying more to support a new multi-use recreational facility in the coming years.

The three-year operating and capital budgets were passed at the Monday, Nov. 26 town council meetings. They include no increase for the municipal portion of residential property tax for 2019 and 2020 – but non-residential property owners will see a four per cent hike in 2019, to be reviewed in the following years.

On the capital side, the flagship proposal is a multi-use facility with a track and indoor soccer field, to be developed together with a new high school. The town is contributing 20 acres of land, and up to $15 million in resources. This money would come from a $10/month recreational levy on each residential property.

Mayor Kim Craig said this appeared to be a more equitable way of raising the money than a mill rate increase, which would need to be nearly 4 ½ per cent to raise the same amount. He said it would take effect in June – depending on if the high school is approved.

“We should know well before June if we have a partner with Palliser (Regional Schools). If we do not have a partner in Palliser, then we have to look at what options would be the more reasonable way to proceed in the future,” he said. “Do we continue ahead with it and look for other partners, or do we really modify the design of it, or do we go after other corporate sponsorship or a number of options that we would probably have to entertain.”

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The operating budget maintains the status quo for service delivery. It includes $200,000 in 2019-2020 for sewer relining; $298,000 in 2019 for street light upgrades; $200,000 in 2019-2020 to update planning documents; and spending on alley reconstruction, an additional RCMP member, water valve replacement, a census, and the town’s 100th birthday celebrations.

“We’re always trying to be fiscally responsible, and over the time I’ve been on council, council’s been quite cognizant of the impact of tax rates on our ratepayers,” Craig said.

Other projects in the capital plan include more than 7 km of paved pathways, park enhancements and a new park, Main Street revitalization, a new Civic Square including town office space, and fire hall renovations.