Sundre town council approved an operating budget for 2013 during the Jan. 21 meeting. It includes a tax increase of 4.12 per cent.
This adds an estimated $75 annual increase to the average homeowner's tax bill, in comparison to 2012.
Council has deliberated on many budget items since July of 2012, when council established a budget timeline.
As part of the decision process, council recommended the use of $80,000 from general surplus to cover overall budget costs to assist tax rates, but decided that the use of surplus should be ìphased outî in future budgets.
Council also recommended the approval of increasing the volunteer firefighter honorarium to $51,531 per year, but did not support the request of $4,000 for wildfire training.
Also, council did not recommend increases to parks vehicle equipment and repair, parks landscaping for new trees or parks general supplies for additional garbage cans.
The total operating budget is $7,792,467 and last year's was $7,400,998.
All service levels to the public are being maintained and the ìbiggest changeî is that money is being set aside for reserves, said the town's chief administrative officer Dean Pickering.
A total of $225,000 is being set aside for reserves, he said.
The money being put into reserves is for the building of a new arena, because of inefficiencies, said Pickering.
Also, funds are being set aside to build a new library, to upgrade the community centre and Greenwood Campground.
ìWe're buying a number of new garbage cans, signage for our walking trails and there is a bunch of other initiatives that are being done,î said Pickering.
Town officials are focusing on economic development, which is also reflected in this year's budget, including the hiring of a second economic development officer, he said.
The 2013 capital budget is $3,410,934, which was passed at the council meeting on Dec. 17. This money is going to be spent on community services, infrastructure and protective services projects.
Meanwhile, the town has been running under an interim budget since the start of the new year, which is actually the operating budget from 2012.
The interim budget was placed in the meantime while waiting on a final approval of the budget so the town could ìcontinue to pay bills, pay payroll and buy paperî, he said.
ìThe operating budget essentially is the budget that we run the town under,î he said.
It's the day-to-day budget for all operations of the town, down to buying paper and pens, he said. It also includes wages and utilities.
The approval of the budget was held off until after the new year because town officials wished to have a final public consultation, said Pickering.
Only one member of the public was present at the open house held at council chambers on Jan. 10.
