MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - County council has approved the 2021 budget, which calls for total expenses of $36,286,643, down from $40,817,074 in 2020.
The approval came by way of motion during the Apr. 14 council meeting, which was held by Zoom and had all councillors present. The budget is an estimate of income and expenditure over the fiscal year.
The budget calls for total revenue of $34,228,552, down slightly from $34,438,699, with municipal taxes of $29,811,656, up slightly from $29,573,156 in 2020.
It calls for $1,687,921 in government transfers for operating, up from $1,445,568, fees and levies of $652,500, down from $836,500, return on investments of $1,247,000, down from $1,447,000.
Expenses include $637,300 for council, $706,512 for chief administrative officer services, $3,782,071 for corporate services, $1,769,226 for planning and development, $8,457,477 for legislative and community services, and $20,934,958 for operational services.
Council will consider the 2021 tax bylaw on April 28 after a vote to give unanimous consent to proceed with third reading was defeated by a six for and one against vote on April 14.
The proposed tax rate bylaw would see an essentially zero per cent increase compared with 2020, says Mountain View County Reeve Bruce Beattie.
“It’s actually a slight drop, if you look at the mill rates they are slightly lower, like 0.03 lower, but effectively it’s zero,” he said. “Unless your assessment has gone up significantly you will be paying the same or slightly less (compared with 2020).”
Assessments in 2021 have not changed markedly from 2020, he said.
The proposed residential tax rate is 2.9702, farmland 8.3406, and non-residential-linear 10.3706.
The total amount to be raised by general municipal taxation would be $29,811,656, including $552,500 to cover the anticipated expense for policing from the province, and total taxation of $43,911,807.
Total requisition would be $14,100,151, including $1,720,311 from Mountain View Seniors' Housing.
“It will have to come back to the 28th and I don’t anticipate any changes,” said Beattie. “I expect it will pass in its current form. We have to do it by then because we have to get the tax notices out. We will pass it in some form on the 28th.”
