DIDSBURY - Council has approved the 2024 operating budget, which calls for expenses of $13,159,126 and revenue from taxes totalling $5,239,862 or a 2.3 per cent increase over 2023.
The move came by way of motion at the Mar. 26 council meeting, held in person and online.
“With so many inflationary factors and financial impacts facing Didsburians and Albertans in the past few years, I am really pleased with our operating budget outcome of keeping the revenue from tax increase to 2.3 per cent,” mayor Rhonda Hunter told the Albertan.
The 2.3 per cent increase reflects a $118,906 increase to revenue from taxes over 2023's total.
“Operational and service delivery costs of the town are also greatly impacted by increasing utility costs, insurance, cost of supplies and services, and more, and I think it sends a good message of council being mindful of how much taxes property owners will be paying, and good news for our taxpayers to hear that we could deliver 2.3 per cent,” she said.
“Many property assessments in Didsbury did increase for 2024, with an overall average increase over five per cent, so this 2.3 per cent reflects a reduction in mill rate.”
Expenses in the 2024 operational budget included $4,700,898 for salaries, wages and benefits, an increase of one per cent from 2023, and $697,500 for contracted municipal policing, compared with $655,000 last year.
Other expenses include $139,850 for training, conferences and travel ($137,855 in 2023), $191,500 professional services ($229,800 in 2023), $851,590 contracted services ($782,710 in 2023), $983,430 for repairs and maintenance ($687,813 in 2023), $527,347 for grants and other payments to organizations ($581,598 in 2023).
On the revenue side, utility user charges total $3,334,325 (up 2.8 per cent from 2023), $1,463,004 government operating grants (up 2.0 per cent), sales and user fees of $1,210,188 (up three per cent), and $880,000 for franchise fees (down 1.1 per cent).
Council is expected to set the tax split and tax rate in late April or early May, said mayor Hunter.
“Once we set the tax rate and the residential/non-residential split, which in 2023 was at 85.6 per cent and 14.4 per cent, residents and businesses will be better able to understand how that 2.3 per cent will impact their property taxes; in many cases there will be no or minimal impact over 2023,” she said.
Reserve allocations also OK'd
Meanwhile, council has also approved various 2023 year-end reserve allocations.
The financial planning committee recommended various allocations, including $29,629 to the operations and maintenance vehicle and equipment replacement reserve, $29,900 to the council community grant reserve, 411,144 to the snow removal reserve, $3,985 to the fire hall reserve, $7,650 to the Didsbury Memorial Complex reserve, $5,000 to the economic development reserves and $157,692 to the strategic initiatives and contingency reserve.
In accordance with town policy FIN 008-22 council is responsible for approving the allocation of operating surplus for tax purposes on an annual basis.
All councillors and mayor Rhonda Hunter were in attendance at the Mar. 25 council meeting, with Coun. Dorothy Moore appearing virtually.
