The budget is finally wrapped up for the Town of Battleford, with council once again bringing in a no-increase-in-taxes budget.
Council unanimously accepted both the 2011 operations budget and the 2011 capital budget at their regular council meeting Monday.
The uniform municipal mill rate remains at 6.79, the exact same as last year, said a pleased Mayor Chris Odishaw.
"Your taxes in 2011 are exactly the same as they were in 2010," said Odishaw, who credited a number of factors, including good fiscal management over several years, for balancing the books without needing a tax increase.
Odishaw said the town will be using money from reserves, from offsite levies negotiated with the developers in the region, extra money coming from the province in revenue sharing and also extra money coming from land sales in the town.
"We are able to reward the town of Battleford with a zero mill rate increase," said Odishaw, who adds the budget brought down Monday is "the single largest budget in the town of Battleford's history." The total taxable assessment is $136,904,705.
The town's expenditure this year was considerable as a number of big-ticket items were on the go for, including the water treatment plant project, the storm sewer, the opera house and the expected twinning of Highway 4.
The town's 2011 capital budget estimates the cost of this year's capital projects at $11,718,236. Of that total, $8 million has been apportioned this year for Highway 4 twinning while $1.2 million is apportioned to the water treatment plant. Another $500,000 targets the opera house while another $450,000 is set aside for the 15th Street Battle Springs drainage project, among other expenditures.
Of the $11.7 million, provincial grants cover $6,176,000 of that total: $6 million for Highway 4 twinning project, while the rest will go to the water treatment plant. An approximate $5,118,036 will be paid out of town reserves for those projects.
The town did have to dip into reserves to balance the books this year. Total expenditures in the operating budget were set at $16,595,929.00, compared to total revenues of $11,948,871. As a result, the town used $4,647,058 in appropriated funds.
However, even with the reserves contribution, the town says there is still plenty of money left for future years, as reserve contributions were built up over the past decade. Odishaw said an estimated $4 million should be left in reserves.
Odishaw said council felt it was wise to dip into reserves for the big-ticket capital projects they have planned, rather than wait and risk seeing the cost of construction go up.
"We as council voted 'let's get these things done today in today's dollars.'" said Odishaw, referring to plans to finish the opera house, build the water treatment plant and twin Highway 4, among others.
Originally council was looking at up to $20 million in potential capital projects. Odishaw noted a number of those "wish-list" items were removed from this year's capital budget to bring it down to $12 million. Among the items not going ahead right away will be replacing the Alex Dillabough Centre roof.
Odishaw gave credit to previous councils and town administration for their sound handling of finances in previous years, allowing them to be able to access reserve funds this year.
As well, he has pointed to other sources of revenue for the town, such as an increase in the base tax that has developed in previous years and the introduction of offsite levies, which he said helps the town a great deal.
"It helps a community to continue to run and hold down taxes," said Odishaw, who praised developers for paying those levies.
Odishaw believes \ holding the mill rate sends a powerful message to business in and out of the community.
"It is clear that the town of Battleford is declaring its doors open for business," said Odishaw.
He acknowledged concerns about the high rate of taxes.
"The town is trying to be as prudent as possible in trying to hold down those costs," the mayor said.
Odishaw says he is proud to buck the trend in other communities that have seen mill rate increases, saying it was his council's intent when it was first elected to "try to run the Town of Battleford like a business."
