St. Albert city council will be looking to formally approve next year's budget on Tuesday, and will also hear about a downtown mural that's set to be removed and put into storage.
The 2024 budget comes with a 5.5 per cent property tax, and, according to a new report to council written by city manager of financial services, an 8.5 per cent increase to monthly utility bills.
The 8.5 per cent monthly utility bill increase has further increased from the 7.2 per cent increase proposed in the draft budget, and the Gazette is waiting for a response from the city to explain the additional increase given council didn't approve any motions during deliberations that would have had any affect on the utility rate.
Next year's budget includes a municipal operating budget of about $203.5 million; a utility operating budget of $50.75 million; 20 municipal and utility growth capital projects totalling $10.65 million; and 38 municipal and utility repair, maintain, replace (RMR) projects at a cost of about $53.5 million.
The Gazette will have further coverage of council's budget vote following the meeting on Tuesday.
Mural to be removed
Another downtown mural is set to be removed and put into storage, according to a report included in council's meeting agenda on Tuesday.
The mural, called Healthy Communities, was commissioned by the city in 1998 and painted by local artist Bella Totino-Busby. The mural has been located on the south-facing wall of 12A Perron Street since 1999.
The report to council explains that the city's contract with the building owner is set to expire in the near future, and when staff attempted to obtain a new contract, the building owner asked the city to enter into a lease for up to $18,200 per year.
In a meeting last month, the city's citizen-based Arts Development Advisory Committee (ADAC) decided to recommend to council that the city not sign the lease as any potential fee for the display of public art would mean the city would have less money available for maintenance of other artworks or future public art projects.
“Fees for the display of public art are not normal practice as art does not elicit direct measurable income for any party,” the report reads.
The planned removal of the Healthy Communities mural follows another downtown mural that was removed earlier this year after the building owner requested the city to take it down.
The previous mural to be taken down, which was called Tribute to the Sisters of Charity Grey Nuns St. Albert, was located at 18 Perron Street.
The Gazette will have more to come.
