By Sheldon Spackman

Ponoka’s 2018 Budget includes tax hike

Apr 2, 2018 | 3:51 PM

Ponoka Town Council has approved its Capital and Operating budgets for 2018 and it includes the equivalent of a six per cent property tax increase.

The budgets were approved following a series of lengthy deliberations and resulted in a $17.8 million Operating Budget and $7.3 million Capital Budget.

“This is a growth oriented budget that positions Ponoka for continued economic growth while also continuing our focus of carefully scrutinizing the budget to identify and implement increased cost efficiencies and reduced expenditures in many areas,” said Ponoka Mayor Rick Bonnett in a press release. “That includes Council’s decision to enter a new Regional Fire Services contract last month, which is expected to reduce the Town’s fire protection costs by roughly 50 per cent.”

“It’s about investing in our community’s future, not just being caretakers,” continued Bonnett. “It’s important to point out that Ponoka still has one of the lowest municipal property tax rates compared to other similar-sized urban municipalities and other municipalities along the Highway 2 corridor.”

Officials says the Town’s 2018 Budget also reflects Council’s strategic priorities identified during planning exercises earlier this year, including initiatives such a Transportation Master Plan and West Area Structure Plan to prepare for growth and accommodate future development along highway corridors.

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Other budget highlights include six months of lease payments at the new Community Learning Centre which is still under construction and due for completion later this year. Funds have also been earmarked for an Economic Development Strategy, additional money for bylaw enforcement, more downtown development and ongoing infrastructure maintenance.

Pursuing government grant funding to build a new field house in Ponoka continues to be a high priority as well. Officials say it would be Phase 1 of a four-phase project and the preliminary design for the Community Wellness Centre recreation multiplex approved by Council in 2017.

“We are in conversation with the federal and provincial Infrastructure Ministers about the upcoming infrastructure funding program,” Bonnnett explained. “We are also working collaboratively with the Town of Stettler on a funding application for that program that might see our two communities working together to build similar facilities in each of our communities and potentially saving considerable capital costs through economies of scale and a joint procurement process.”

For more information on the Town of Ponoka’s 2018 Budget, visit www.ponoka.ca.

by Sheldon Spackman

Ponoka’s 2018 Budget includes tax hike

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