NORTH BATTLEFORD - City of North Battleford administration is asking for a 4.53 per cent property tax increase in the city's 2025 budget draft.
Finance Director Margarita Pena presented the proposed budget to city council at the first budget deliberation meeting on Jan. 7.
The increase is only a recommendation at this point as council still needs to review the budget and make any changes it sees fit.
The final budget draft will be presented to council on Jan. 23 when council will decide whether to approve it or not.
From the 4.53 per cent increase, 2.07 per cent would cover City Operations; 0.88 per cent capital projects, and 1.58 per cent police operations.
City Manager Randy Patrick said there are a number of pressures the city is facing that led to administration's decision to recommend a tax increase.
"Some of the obvious ones, there are inflationary increases, and costs of maintaining some [assets] that are fairly old, was brought up," he said. "The city itself has some old assets; we have to maintain those. Those costs have gone up over the past few years on capital, 20, 30 or 40 per cent sometimes. A block now of UPAR for example, to do that is far more expensive than it was five years ago. Same thing for all of our buildings. So these are the kind of things that are driving the costs."
Patrick said the city has seen the changes in trying to provide the service level that is needed.
"We are trying not to change the service levels; we're just trying ot maintain them. That's what we believe is the cost," Patrick added.
High policing costs are also a factor, to cover RCMP policing contracts.
"Every year now their costs are going up," Patrick said. "They get inflationary increases. That's decided in Ottawa, not here."
Pena noted the city is also facing high costs to maintain its recreational facilities that also impact the budget.
"The taxpayers here are paying a fair amount for these services, and they are great services, but they are not inexpensive," Patrick added.
The city is also proposing a 0.1 per cent per month increase for recycling fees, which works out to a $0.01 increase per month.
It's also asking for a 5.2 per cent per month increase for garbage fees, which translates to a $0.62 increase per month.
Patrick said administration is pleased with the proposed budget.
"We provide what we believe is an appropriate budget," he said. "Council goes through it and suggests maybe changes here, whatever council's priorities are. They will be questioning us as to why we are doing things. But in the end it becomes council's budget, because we're trying to achieve what council wants us to do. We're suggesting that right now, from an administrative point of view this is appropriate. Council makes the final decision on what's appropriate and what isn't, and that becomes what is the tax budget."
Council's next deliberation meeting takes place Jan. 9 starting at 4:45 p.m., when they will look at Fire and Protective Services and Parks and Recreation Services. Budget deliberation meetings at the Don Ross Centre are open to the public to attend. People can also view the meetings by Zoom.
