By rdnewsNOW staff

Red Deer County council tables operating and capital budgets

Nov 13, 2018 | 12:21 PM

Red Deer County council has tabled operating and capital budgets for next year and they propose slight increases to service levels with no anticipated tax rate increases.

During their regular meeting Tuesday, council tabled the 2019-21 Operating budget and 2019-2023 Capital Plan, with county residents now invited to offer input on the documents over the next three weeks before the budget returns to council for final approval December 4.

Capital spending in 2019 will see a significant decrease from last year’s $42.5M to $24.5M, marking a return to more typical levels of expenditures according to County officials.

The increase last year was primarily due to large scale bridge repairs and road construction projects.

County administration expect the trend of high levels of paving, bridge work, and construction projects to continue while not passing detrimental tax increases to the public.

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“I am happy to say that this budget is a reflection of the economy improving in our region,” says Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood, in a press release. “We will continue to pursue an aggressive capital construction program, and put the needs of our ratepayers first. I would like to thank our staff for their hard work in getting the budget to this point.”

“Administration is working to create a responsible budget that reflects Council’s strategic direction while not burdening the taxpayer with undue increases,” adds Heather Surkan, Director of Corporate Services. “We look forward to hearing from the public and continuing on a fiscally responsible path.”

The draft budget report can be found at www.rdcounty.ca.