Season's greetings! I hope you all had a great Christmas, and were able to enjoy it with those dearest to you.
It's been another busy year in town, and it ends with yet another budget being passed.
The 2017 budget isn't flashy, but it is by all means sensible. Staff were asked to do more with less, and came through with a no-frills budget that keeps the town poised for future growth. It also contains a zero per cent tax rate increase, which council advocated for strongly.
With people losing their jobs, and in the midst of so much economic uncertainty, it's important we do all that we can to ease the financial burden. We're pleased to have achieved this without compromising progress.
With a projected decrease in property tax assessment, some residents will actually pay less in taxes. While this will result in decreased revenue for the town, we'll still be moving forward with a number of important projects ó the respective second phases of our town office upgrades and sewage lagoon reclamation among them.
We'll also be proceeding with some comparatively "smaller" purchases, such as a new chiller for the arena, and new vehicles to add to the town's current fleet. We'll be able to achieve all of these and more thanks to the town's healthy reserve accounts, which collectively total more than $12 million.
Ultimately, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, and there are even more reasons to be grateful.
I personally want to thank the many wonderful volunteers who contributed their time to the community over the holidays, and who continue to do so year-round. Through the food bank, Christmas Bureau, and Snow Angels program, we've seen community members valiantly step up to help their neighbours in need. It's been a pleasure to watch, and I hope it long continues.
With a municipal election, Canada's 150th birthday celebrations and plenty of great community events taking place, 2017 is shaping up to be another busy year. We very much hope you'll be a part of it.
As always, if you've got questions, concerns or comments, my door is open. Stop by and see me, send me an email, or give me a call ó I'm always happy to chat.
On behalf of the town and council, have a safe and happy new year!
