CREMONA - At their recent regularly scheduled meeting, councillors were presented with the tax rate bylaw, which passed first and second reading but failed to receive unanimous consent for third reading.
"The third and final reading will be on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers," said CAO Luana Smith. "That way we can get the tax rate notices done up in a timely manner and sent out to residents giving them lots of notice before the due date, which is June 30."
The proposed 2018 tax rate for residential would be 7.81 (mill rate = 0.0078095).
The Alberta School Foundation Fund requisition for residential/farmland is $102,419.89, while for non-residential it is $21,116.50. The requisition for Mountain View Seniors' Housing is $7,415.
The assessed value of all property in the Village of Cremona as shown on the assessment roll is $56,664,180, which includes $37,788,480 for residential.
The estimated municipal expenditures and transfers set out in the budget for Cremona for 2018 total $897,923.
The estimated municipal revenues and transfers from all sources other than taxation is estimated at $492,681 and the balance of $405,242 is to be raised by general municipal taxation.
Audit report released
The village received a favourable audit report from Grant Strange of Collins Barrow LLP, during his report to council.
"We had our auditor there," said Smith. "And he presented our 2017 audited financial statements. It was a good audit. I'm very happy. It was much better than last year, the auditor commented."
CAO to attend national conference
Smith received a scholarship to attend the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) conference in Fredericton, N.B. at the end of May.
"That covers all my delegate conference fees," she said. "We had enough Marriott reward points to have the hotel covered 100 per cent. I asked council if they would approve to cover the cost of my flight, which was $678 return, which they approved. I'm very happy."
Smith was very excited to learn she won the scholarship.
"There are only four given out across Canada," she said. "Two are for students and two are for administrators. I applied for it because Cremona usually can't afford to send me to things like that. I've been a member of CAMA for a long time. They're really good conferences for administrators."
Meanwhile, council passed two motions regarding the return to service protocol policy, one dealing with de-pressurized mains and the other dealing with pressurized mains.
The motions bring those policies into compliance with Alberta Environment and Parks regulations, said Smith.
Council passed a motion to allow a building permit extension for one year for a basement suite development.
For National Public Works Week on May 20-28, council is going to recognize the village's public works staff by inviting them to a dinner put on by council on May 24, said Smith.
The 2018 salary grid was amended to include a position for public works equipment operator.
