RED DEER COUNTY – After tabling operating and capital budgets for 2018 and beyond in early December members of county council have formally and unanimously given their final approval.
The two-week break between the introduction of the budgets on Dec. 5 and its final passage on Dec. 19th was to give the public a chance to provide feedback.
While the 2018 operating budget remains "very consistent” at around $47.5 million, capital spending will "rise sharply” to $39. 3 million to take advantage of competitive pricing for large-scale construction projects, said a news release issued by the county on Dec. 19. The news release added that after 2018 capital plan, spending would then return closer to the $20 million it has been in past years.
Expenditures in 2018 for capital projects will include $7 million to upgrade Rge. Rd. 10, $4.1 million for bridge repairs and $4.2 million for the Springbrook Water Reservoir.
"We will accomplish a great deal of important infrastructure work in the coming years,” said Mayor Jim Wood in the same news release, which also stated any changes to tax rates, including those for residential, commercial, industrial and oil and gas ratepayers, will be addressed in the spring.
Earlier in December, however, Wood said he was anticipating a "negligible” impact with ratepayers, "a very, very small mill rate increase” of point zero two mills.
He added in an interview with the Province that if the budgets were approved there would be a one-mill rate increase on commercial, industrial and oil and gas industry property owners.
For more information on the 2018 approved country budgets residents can go to www.rdcounty.ca.
Mahyor Jim Wood
"We will accomplish a great deal of important infrastructure work in the coming years."
