SUNDRE — The municipal council by way of motion recently re-allocated a little more than $450,000 in unspent funds back into restricted surplus accounts.
A request for decision regarding the leftover monies was on Monday, May 16 presented to council during a regular meeting.
Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, told council that the completed capital projects ended up coming in under budget.
“We are requesting that the funds that have not been expended, be transferred back into the restricted surplus accounts that they originally came from,” said Nelson.
Transferring unspent but budgeted funds back into their respective restricted surplus accounts is a good governance practice municipalities are expected to follow to ensure proper accountability.
Eight separate motions to transfer unspent funds back into restricted surplus accounts were subsequently carried unopposed.
The largest transfers were one for $284,722 in unspent funding for the capital project to replace the Sundre Arena’s ice plant going back into the Municipal Lifecycling restricted surplus account, and another for $100,000 in unspent funding for the Greenwood Campground power services capital project that also was allocated back into the same reserve.
Additionally, $31,543 in unspent funding for a critical equipment upgrade capital project at the sewage lagoon was transferred back into the Utilities Lifecycling restricted surplus account, while another $20,000 in unspent monies for a tree planting program was allocated back into the Municipal Lifecycling restricted surplus account.
The unspent funds for the four remaining capital projects – Bearberry Creek Bridge upgrades, a gas piping change-out, main lift station controls, and an electrofusion welder – ranged between about $2,500 to a little more than $6,000.
Overall, $453,041 in unspent funds were transferred back into restricted surplus accounts.
