The average property tax bill in Mountain View County will see no increase or decrease under the 2011 budget recommended for council approval by its policies and priorities committee.Councillors voted unanimously on Jan. 24 to recommend adoption of the 2011 budget after more than doubling the contribution to reserves from about $700,000 to just over $1.5 million and covering a $336,000 shortfall to balance expenditures and revenue.The budget, which could still be modified when it comes to council for final consideration this Wednesday, did not contain the property tax cuts that Reeve Paddy Munro and some councillors had hoped for.ìThe biggest obstacle for me in this budget is the learning,î Munro said shortly before the P&P committee's unanimous vote. ìIt's all new Ö and it takes a bit of time. In a year it'll be different Ö we'll get it figured out.ìI do like our attitude. We're not cheap. We're careful.îDiv. 7 Coun. Al Kemmere pointed to the constraints of producing a budget immediately after last October's election, without a long-term strategic plan in place and without the efficiencies that could result from pending reviews of the planning and operational services departments.ìI can accept no increase,î said Kemmere, who was reeve last year when council also froze property taxes. ìI'm not a fan of going into this and decreasing taxes. We did it before and we paid for that.îItems still outstanding include spending on calcium for road stabilization and dust control, and a $70,650 request for agricultural society youth programs, which was dropped from the budget but will be brought forward Wednesday with an updated report from administration.As it stands, the 2011 operating budget is $41.6 million ñ up from $38 million budgeted in 2010 due mainly to $3.4 million for amortization of county assets. The total figure includes $10.6 million in requisitions, most of it for education ($10.1 million) but also for seniors' housing ($313,000) and regional waste management ($153,000).The capital budget sits at $12.4 million, down from $18.6 million budgeted in 2010, but it contains no major public works projects such as last year's $5.7-million, grant-funded reconstruction of Red Lodge Road.In his draft summary, corporate services director Greg Wiens said the increase in tax revenue is driven by new properties added to the county's assessment base.ìIt's expected that the average taxpayer, if they have made no changes to their property, will pay the same amount of taxes in 2011 as they did in 2010. This is expected to be the case across the three main assessment categories: residential, farmland and non-residential,î Wiens wrote.ìMunicipal tax revenue is budgeted to increase six per cent or $1,345,000 in the 2011 budget when compared to the 2010 budget. However, when compared to the projected tax revenue for 2010, it represents an increase of $683,000 or a three per cent increase in municipal tax revenue.îWithout the one-time amortization cost factored in, operating expenses are budgeted to increase by one per cent, or $420,000.ìWith amortization, operational expenses are budgeted to increase 10 per cent or $3,825,000 in 2011,î Wiens wrote. ìThe $3.4-million increase in amortization expense is due to the availability of better information. Prior to the 2011 budget only preliminary amortization numbers were available. The amounts available for 2011 are more representative of actual amortization costs.îIncreases flagged by Wiens in his summary include:ï $180,000 more to support funding for recreation and library facilities.ï $160,000 for salaries and wages of employees as they move through the steps of the salary and wage grids (this includes $90,000 for a one per cent cost of living adjustment).ï $140,000 for communications and government relations.ï $125,000 for increased staffing in planning.The 2011 capital expenditures include:ï $1.7 million for bridge replacements, most of it to reconstruct the Big Prairie Bridge.ï $1.5 million to address surface and subsurface issues related to the county's chipsealed roads, completing the three-year subsurface repair program.ï $1.5 million for the Olds-Didsbury Airport, primarily for the development of lots, with sale proceeds expected to offset those costs.Before recommending the budget for approval, some councillors expressed a degree of satisfaction with the process.ìI think what we've done today, returning to reserves like we did, I think we've done extremely well,î Div. 5 Coun. Bob Orr said.ìFor the first kick at the cat, I think we did pretty good today,î Div. 3 Coun. Duncan Milne said, adding he would still like to review costs for dust control.Div. 2 Coun. Patricia McKean said she was ìreally happyî with the progress made and predicted council would be in a better position next year after seeing the results of the planning and operational services reviews.
