Graham Long, Free Press
Brazeau County’s final budget for 2021 was approved by council last week with an operating shortfall of a little over $1.2 million. That money will be drawn from the County’s buildings reserve.
As previously decided at a meeting last month, the budget includes a 30 percent rebate for residential, farmland and commercial property taxes. To qualify for the rebate taxes must be paid in full prior to the June 30 deadline. This is the sixth year the County has granted a tax rebate to commercial businesses in Brazeau County and the second year the rebate has also been applied to residential and farmland properties.
The rebate applies only to the municipal portion of property taxes. Like all Alberta municipalities, the County collects education taxes on behalf of the province. There is also a requisition to support the Brazeau Seniors Foundation. The County has no control over either of those amounts and does not keep the money collected. Those amounts are both expected to increase slightly this year.
The County has faced a number of financial challenges this year, including a provincial ruling which reduced the amount rural municipalities collect in linear assessment from the oil and gas industry.
In spite of those pressures, the 2021 budget contains funding for a number of capital projects. Those include road projects such as paving in Lodgepole, five km overlay on Twp Rd. 494, microsurfacing on a stretch of RR73 as well as base repairs and chip seal on parts of both Twp Rd. 495 and Twp Rd. 480. Another project involves expansion of the floating wetlands trial project at the Violet Grove Lagoon and refurbishments to the Cynthia Lagoon.
There are no new fees or increases to current fees this year.
“This was a team effort with administration and Council to create our sixth balanced budget,” said Reeve Bart Guyon in a media release after the budget was approved. “We have worked within our means as all governments should. We believe strongly in leaving as much money as possible in taxpayers’ pockets.”
The Town of Drayton Valley is expected to pass its final budget for the year in early May, prior to the mailing out of property tax notices.
