Alberton approves grants in principle

Must pass municipal grants bylaw before dispensing funds

There are no tax rate increases in the 15-month municipal budget Alberton Town Council approved Monday night.

The non-commercial tax rate remains at 56 cents per $100 assessed value,and the commercial rate stays at $1.05 per $100 assessment.

Finance chairman David Cahill brought down the numbers during the monthly council meeting.

Council also approved motions

for Cahill for a series of municipal grants, but organizations

should not call into the town office right away looking for their money. The money can only be released once the town, in keeping with Prince Edward Island’s new Municipal Government Act, adopts a new bylaw on municipal grants.

The Jacques Cartier Arena will get a $5,000 operating grant and a special $10,000 grant to assist with renovations. The Alberton Museum and the Western Community Curling Club are each in line for $2,000 while $1,500 is set aside for the Alberton and Area Development Corporation and $1,000 for the Alberton Business Association.

Besides needing to wait for bylaw approval before they can collect, the organizations must supply council with a copy of their financial statements.

All financial figures were not available, but council gave assurances the town turned a surplus in both its general operations and its sewer utility.

All municipalities are working on 15-month projections in order to fall in line with the provincial government’s March 31 year-end. Cahill said Alberton is projecting a balanced budget of $959,339 in the general account and $182,888 for the sewer utility for the 15 months ending March 31, 2019. What will make up the lion’s share of the town’s revenue will be $410,628 from municipal taxation, $262,251 from government transfers and $181,900 from fire dues. Expenditures are grouped into four categories: $355,533 for public property, parks and recreation; $222,058 for general government; $214,000 for fire protection and $167,748 for police protection.