Council briefs: Tax rate set, new budget guidelines passed

“Our municipal taxes are essential to maintaining the services The City provides from the upkeep of our roads and parks, to providing police and emergency services,” Joanne Parkin, Revenue and Assessment Services Manager. “It’s about delivering necessary services for our growing city.”

Red Deer’s non-residential tax rate is the lower than other cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie, while the multi-family tax rate is second-lowest.

The average home valued at $325,000 will pay an additional $3.72 per month, or about $45 annually.

Taxes are due June 30, but the final day to pay in person at City Hall is Friday, June 29.

— New budget guidelines

Council has adopted guidelines for administration to follow in creating the 2019 Capital and Operating budgets.

Highlights include:

– one per cent capital contribution in the 2019 Operating Budget
– one per cent capital contribution in the 2020-2022 Operating Plan
– property tax revenue requirement to be no more than 2.5 per cent, including the capital contribution for the 2019 Operating Budget
– property tax revenue requirement to be no more than 2.5 per cent, including the capital contribution for the 2020-2022 Operating Plan
– utility rate increases be no more than 2.25 per cent unless previously approve

As well, significant new fees will come to council for approval prior to Operating Budget deliberations, and as always, public input from Let’s Talk, the upcoming Budget Open House, online surveying, and written submissions will be used to formulate the budget.

Council will also be reviewing the process of moving towards multi-year operating budgets.

— Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Council elected on Monday to once again send councillor Lawrence Lee as the city’s representative to FCM.

The annual per person cost to send a councillor to FCM is $13,000, something Lee says is very much worth it.

“It has certainly opened my eyes to the amount of advocacy you can exert on the federal level in terms of the National Housing Strategy, or getting ahead of issues like the legalization of marijuana, and conversations around safe injection sites,” he said. “It really, really does position Red Deer in good space to leverage that advocacy.”

Council colleague Tanya Handley has consistently rebuked the idea of sending someone to FCM over the years, but made it clear on Monday that it’s the principle, rather than something personal against Lee.

“We have more influence closer to home with provincial advocacy through AUMA,” she opines. “I’ve always had an issue with the cost per meeting. They have to go three, so $4300 per meeting. That’s just too high for the amount of impact we’re able to have.”

FCM’s next annual conference is May 31-June 3 in Halifax.

— Sign site exceptions

Council rejected a pair of sign site exception applications.

The separate applications were to put a dynamic fascia sign at 4929 – 49 Street, as well as a dynamic freestanding sign at 4840 – 52 Avenue.

The bases for the denials — which administration recommended — were around clustering and those types of signs not being a permitted use in C1 Commercial and C1A Commercial districts.

— Kentwood school site

A park in the Kentwood neighbourhood in north Red Deer is now officially designated for a Francophone school.

Council gave first reading earlier this year and on Monday held a public hearing on the matter.

The land was designated as the site for a K-9 school under the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools banner.

Instead, it is now under the watch of Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord. Their intent is to build a K-6 or K-9 school there within the next 10-20 years.

— Carriage home site exception

Council voted to pass first reading for a carriage home site exception in the Woodlea neighbourhood.

A submission from the applicant on page 120 of this week’s council agenda suggests a large portion of the neighbourhood is in favour of allowing the carriage home.

A public hearing will be held May 28 at 6 p.m before council considers second and third readings.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Council briefs: Tax rate set, new budget guidelines passed

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