Sundre residents will be seeing an increase in their utility bills as of this month.
Utility rates now include $17.50 per month for garbage, $18.50 per month for water and $18.50 per month for wastewater.
Town council approved the fee schedule for 2013, effective Jan. 1, during the Dec. 17 meeting.
ìThe cost of everything has gone up, the cost of living has increased, the cost to purchase fuel, the cost to process water, the cost to clean everything and to filter everything,î said Wanda Watson-Neufeld, the town's director of corporate services.
ìThe cost of insurance and the cost of electricity went up 15 per cent so those costs have to be reflected because our utilities are self-sufficient which means we don't use tax dollars to support our utilities. We actually use just user fees so whatever fee people are charged for their garbage, for their water, for their waste water, those are direct fees that relate to the expenses in those departments,î she added.
The cost of annual cat and dog licences has increased as well.
If they are purchased before Jan. 31 for an altered male or female, the cost is $10. If purchased after Jan. 31, the cost is $30. As for an unaltered male or female, the cost is $14, but will be $50 if purchased after Jan. 31.
An annual licence for a dog declared as a ìviciousî dog, which is a dog that has been in a situation before where they have attacked another animal or person, costs $250. All replacement licences for both cats and dogs are $5.
There is no fee for a service/guide dog. Impoundment fees are $50 for cats and dogs, except ìviciousî dogs are $150.
ìWe were phasing in higher rates (of the animal licences) so that we're comparable with the counties, not just Mountain View County but with our surrounding in the county,î said Watson-Neufeld.
