Property taxes will stay the same but utility and garbage fees are set to rise as Bonnyville town council passed its interim 2019 operating budget in their December 11th meeting. After council set their goal at a zero tax dollar increase for residents, a few changes had to be made to balance the 2019 operating budget. The major announcement was that costs would have to rise for water and garbage services in the town by about 2.2 percent. Council says the increase will generate more than $50,000 in revenue and help square up the 2019 plan.
The town also agreed to increase the RCMP contact fund by $50,000 to allow for an extra officer to be hired on in the community. Council says around $287,000 is going to have to come out of the General Operating Reserve to help balance the budget.
The budget will keep its “interim” title until May of 2019 when the mill rate is finalized. Council says they may have to make some changes from now until then to keep the budget at its zero percent increase promise.