Cash, expenses higher than thought

Town revenues were higher than expected last year in Lake Country, but so too was municipal spending.

The town of 14,000 people took in a total of $46.4 million compared to expected revenues of $38.8 million.

Higher-than-forecast payments from developers account for most of the extra revenue, town councillors will hear next Tuesday.

On the other side of the municipal ledger, total expenses were more than 3% above budget, at $25.4 million compared to the predicted spending of

$24.6 million.

“There are several factors for being over-budget, including amortization that exceeded budget estimate amounts as well as unexpected expenses to fix water-main break and complete work on behalf of a developer,” reads part of a report to council by finance director Tanya Garost.

Overall, town manager Alberto De Feo writes in the report, Lake Country is “in a strong financial position, which provides the ability to face a challenging situation such as the current pandemic impact.”

Town spending was over-budget in six of the eight main municipal divisions, and under the forecasted expense in the other two.

The biggest discrepancy on a percentage basis, at 12% over budget, was in environmental services, with the processing of sewage costing more than expected last year. Costs were also higher in the protective services due to an increase in officer wages and the detachment having to deal with more prisoners than expected last year.

The town has more than 150 full-time employees. None have been laid off during the pandemic.

“We’re still providing all the operations and services we have to do,” Mayor James Baker said in mid-April. “The whole aspect of layoffs doesn’t apply in our situation. . . We don’t have excess people to lay off.”