Budget will increase taxes $10.83 per month

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Three areas account for the 3.4 per cent increase in the operating budget.

Swift Current will experience a decrease in provincial revenue sharing caused by the downturn experienced across the province which generated lower PST revenue. To cover receiving $173,000 less in revenue sharing from the province this year, the City will require a 1.24 per cent increase in the operating budget.

Swift Current’s policing contract with the RCMP is going up in 2017. The RCMP’S union agreement expired at the end of 2014, and a new agreement is expected this year. This contract increase will also include retroactive pay increases to cover 2015 and 2016, so council approved a 1.38 per cent hike in the operating budget to cover this expense.

A series of negotiated labour agreement increases will require a further operating budget increase of 0.33 per cent to cover those higher wages.

Perrault pointed out since the start of 2014, the City has experienced additional growth in events and city amenities, but are currently operating with one fewer full time employee.

“This clearly demonstrates our commitment to finding efficiencies, since we are literally doing more with less.”

FINANCIAL STRATEGY

A 6.0 per cent increase to taxes is continued as part of a desire to move away from the City’s reliance on debt to fund capital purchases. This financial strategy was introduced in 2014 to utilize Light and Power utility revenues, which had been used to subsidize property taxes, to now fully fund capital commitments, replace items and pay for ongoing capital rehabilitation projects.

LEVY

Taxation increases will result in an annual $195 per average household increase, but taxation is offset by a $65 reduced levy payment. A special annual $100 levy to pay for the Cypress Regional Hospital has been completed, but city taxpayers are now paying $35 a year over 30 years to fund the municipal share of funding for The Meadows.