BATTLEFORD - The Town of Battleford council gave its approval for the proposed 2025 budget at its meeting Monday night.
There is zero per cent increase to the operational taxation, however, the budget calls for a $100 levy to benefit saving for future infrastructure projects for the town that are needed.
"It's [the levy is] for every entity - house, business, commercial-business, or industrial business," Mayor Ames Leslie said after the meeting.
Council approved the budget unanimously.
"I think the budget was very clear," Leslie said. "I think the big thing to realize is the every increasing cost to inflation and things like that. Our management and our finance team were able to pass a balanced budget that has no increase to our operational costs. I think that's a huge feat.
"One of the big aspects is when we were able to negotiate our rate on our reserves," he added. "Our reserves is putting back just short of $800,000 back into our revenue stream. So, we didn't have to go back to the well to increase taxation, because we have found other revenue streams that are not taxation. I am proud of this team to find those additional revenue streams. As well, they were able to very much keep our expenses down. Year-over-year from last year to this year, there is just over a $200,000 increase in our expenses."
Leslie said that tells him the team looked at every aspect that they can to reduce costs to the operating of the community, and they were able to find some efficiencies, and ways to save the taxpayers some money.
The total revenue for the operating budget is just over $8 million. Expenses are $5.9 million.
During council's meeting, Coun. Mark Coleman said he liked the idea of the $100 levy for future savings, noting it will "help position the town well into the future."
The $100 levy is expected to bring in about $190,000 in a year to help fund capital projects.
Mayor Leslie agreed with Coleman's remarks.
"I think it was a very great observation that long-term planning and long-term saving is going to be a benefit to the community. To be able to put a little extra money aside, without impacting the taxpayer, I think is a tremendous idea and a tremendous feat by our community," Leslie said. "That way when we come down the path to build or fix or amend or renovate any of our facilities, there will be some money sitting in a bank account already to help fund that expenditure."
Some of the future projects the levy fund will be able to help support include a proposed new fire hall that's been identified in the town that is needed.
"There are talks of the Battleford District Care Centre that needs to be replaced, which the town is responsible to fund the capital expense of that," Leslie said previously. "Our hockey rink is proposed that it's needing $2 million to $3 million worth of improvements. We have continual asset improvements to the Fred Light Museum that are required."
