Reeve’s Message Spring 2014

Greetings Friends and Neighbors!

County Council has been busy planning and approving projects for 2014. The 2014 Final Budget and Taxation Bylaw were approved at the May 6 Council Meeting with the 2014 Municipal Mill Rates remaining the same. The Council priorities for 2014 are as follows: Financial Sustainability, Support Regional Economic Development Initiatives, Infrastructure, and Accountability.

Highlights from the 2014 Budget include but are not limited to: replacement of (2) motor graders, shop crane replacement, light duty truck replacement, numerous culvert replacements, various bridge file replacement and maintenance, playground equipment at Burma Park, gravel and the expansion of the rural waterline in the north Halkirk area.  The 2014 Capital Budget is $5.2 million with funds from the following: $2.8 million from grants, $280,000 from proceeds of sale of capital assets, and $2.04 million from restricted surplus.  Restricted Surplus is funds that have been strategically set aside for future capital expenditures.  The Capital Budget does not affect the tax levy.

The County of Paintearth supports recreation facilities owned and operated by our urban neighbours.  The County has increased funding to the Towns of Coronation and Castor from $90,000 to $100,000 each respectively.  Additional funding to the Village of Halkirk and the Brownfield Recreation Board has been increased from $16,500 to $20,000, and this year the County will be providing $2,000 to the museums in Castor and Coronation.  Another area of support is to our community groups that maintain cemeteries.  The policy was amended to include additional funding of $200 each to the cemetery groups of Haneyville, Beaver Road South, and Notre Dame.  For the past 25 years, the County has participated in the Family Community Support Services programs for the Towns of Castor and Coronation, and provided the mandated 20% funding.  For the first time in 2014, the County is providing an additional $4,000 of funding to each respective program. Due to legislated Tangible Capital Assets accounting, the County must acknowledge amortization and depreciation of capital assets.  The County has chosen to be proactive and fund this expense to cover today expenses for the future.

The 2014 Final Operating Budget has changes in the following areas: Administration – decrease of Municipal Sustainability Grant Funding, increase of legal due to assessment appeals, and postage; Fire Protection – increase expenditures due to existing fire agreement/contract with our urban neighbors; Bylaw Enforcement – going from a .36 full time equivalent to a 1 Fte; Public Works – increase to health and safety training, increase to repairs and maintenance, increase of $1.6 million of gravel to be applied to right of ways, increase of $60,000 for rental equipment due to the dozers required to push snow, and an overall increase to the cost of fuel.

On behalf of County Council, CAO and Staff, we would like to wish you a wonderful spring and summer, and all the best for a plentiful harvest.

Respectfully yours,

COUNTY OF PAINTEARTH NO.18
George Glazier
Reeve