Morinville residents will get free library cards, an improved cemetery and a bigger trash bill next year if town council approves its next budget as proposed.
Town council passed first reading of the 2017 operating and capital budget on Oct. 25.
Town residents can get an up-close look at that budget tonight in council chambers as part of a budget open house.
The budget features a one per cent tax hike that adds about $20 to the tax bill of a typical $300,000 home, resulting in an average bill of $2,021, said town corporate and financial services director Shawna Jason. This does not include increases to the school or seniors levies, which are not controlled by the town.
The budget features $18.3 million in expenditures, not including capital or utilities, 44 per cent of which goes towards wages. Implementing it as-is will require taking $961,000 out of operating reserves, leaving the town with about $2 million, Jason said.
Jason said the budget includes a two per cent cost-of-living wage hike for union and salaried employees, which accounts for most the town's four per cent rise in operating costs. While the budget doesn't add any new full-time positions to the town, it does add two part-time ones for economic development and public works.
The town's library, festival and historical societies will get about $60,000, $17,000 and $5,000 more, respectively, under the budget, which is in line with what they requested at the October committee of the whole meeting. The library board has said it will provide free library cards for all town residents should it receive this funding increase.
Earmarked in the budget is $23,000 to demolish the Midstream Society building and Perras Place. Town administrators have ruled both buildings too old to be of further use and asked the tenants to vacate.
The Midstream Society plans to build a two-storey structure on its current site that will house its thrift store and several other community groups. Council has yet to announce plans for Perras Place.
Also in the budget is $30,000 for a town-wide traffic study, said town protective services director David Schaefer. This will establish a baseline for traffic volumes and speeds so the town can spot and track traffic problems over time.
Other new operational items include $17,000 to cover the provincial carbon tax, $20,000 to improve the town cemetery, $35,000 to hold next year's election and $67,500 to update the town's municipal development plan.
The budget proposes a $2 hike in trash rates, which would raise the typical monthly trash bill to $20.90. It does not propose any change to water or sewer rates.
Capital ideas
On the capital side, the budget includes $17.2 million to build a replacement arena for the Ray McDonald next year – the first part of the town's new rec-centre. No additional spending on the rec-centre is planned before 2022.
The budget pencils in $2 million to demolish the Ray McDonald arena in 2021, but this is a placeholder, said town chief administrative officer Andy Isbister. The demolition won't happen until the replacement arena gets built, which would likely happen in 2018. The demolition will most likely occur in 2019.
The budget allocates $250,000 for a new roof to the curling club and $83,000 for solar-powered lights around the Fish and Game pond next year.
It also shows $52,000 for the proposed LAV III memorial. Council has said that it plans to rethink this project, however, and may roll the monument into another parks project.
The budget open house runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2. The budget returns to council for second reading on Nov. 8.
