With a focus on maintaining service levels, Foothills County approved its 2024 operating budget with a 3.57 per cent tax increase.
The budget was approved during the County’s council meeting on Dec. 13 and is expected to cost the average residential taxpayer about $18.50 more each month, or $220 annually.
“This tax adjustment is essential to maintain the highest standard of services that our residents and businesses expect and rely upon,” Reginald Hammond, deputy director of corporate services, said during the meeting.
Debt servicing costs are included for the construction of a water treatment plant at Aldersyde, that Hammond said would attract economic activity on the Highway 2A corridor and help diversify the County's tax base.
Also included are cost-of-living adjustments for staff salaries and money to hire more people.
Three additional staff positions are included in the budget, along with others that were approved in the summer as part of a reorganization, Foothills County CAO Ryan Payne said during earlier budget discussions on Nov. 29.
While most of the positions added this year and next are front-line, several are senior postings that are intended for succession planning, with about a dozen long-time Foothills County staff members planning to retire in the next two years, Payne said on Nov. 29.
“The three new positions that you see today are really just intended to maintain current service levels, it’s not adding any new services, but it’s also part of that succession plan,” he said.
On Dec. 13, Division 1 Coun. Rob Siewert said he is satisfied with the budget, but expressed concern over the number of new staff positions.
“I would just highlight that we are adding 11 new staff positions (in total), which is quite a chunk for our organization,” Siewert said. “I would hope that that is not a trend going forward, that we are adding and adding (staff).”
The tax increase for 2024 does not include any changes to the 2023 education requisition amount.
Last year’s budget included a tax increase of 3.54 per cent.
