Residents will have the chance to comment on the 2013 budget Dec. 10 at the regularly scheduled town council meeting. Council members have the option of deferring a decision on the budget or moving to approve it later in the evening.
Residents will have the chance to comment on the 2013 budget Dec. 10 at the regularly scheduled town council meeting. Council members have the option of deferring a decision on the budget or moving to approve it later in the evening.
"I think it's important for people to understand what's happening in the community and what's in the annual budget," said CAO Helen Dietz. "The community can ask questions and share concerns."
Though 90 per cent of the budget was already allocated for pre-established projects, such as the downtown revitalization plan, town administration discussed further budget possibilities with council members during a series of private meetings Nov. 19, 20 and 27.
One of the main concerns discussed in the talks was how to roll out unavoidable cost increases involved in hooking up to the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater system.
"We will be required to pay to put our sewage into the regional sewer system," Dietz said, noting council members debated a handful of different financial models they could use to fund the hookup.
The proposed plan would subsidize the rate Innisfail residents pay for sewer until 2020.
Preparing for this year's round of budget talks has been a long process, said Director of Corporate Services Heather Whymark, who's been at it since September.
Each department head sits with their staff and goes over each line item to see how things went last year and consider their future direction, she said. The numbers are accumulated and compiled into the first draft of the budget.
"It takes awhile to get all the stuff together," she said. "Then there's always backup – providing proof of the number usage."
