Bonnyville has passed both the interim operational and capital budget for 2023.
Both were passed at Tuesday night’s Bonnyville town council meeting on the 13th. The operational budget sits at $22.7 million and the capital budget sits at $16.4 million.
Residents can expect a 2% tax increase for homeowners, a 2% utility and garbage fee increase, rate increases for landfill and transfer station rates, and finally a transfer from the general operating reserve of $320,835 to balance the budget.
Along with the increases, the Town of Bonnyville will have to reduce asks to the request from outside organizations. This will means many groups like The Bonnyville Friendship Centre, Bonnyville & District Chamber of Commerce, Bonnyville Health Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities Golf Tournament, Bonnyville Primary Care Network, Bonnyville & District SPCA, and the Bonnyville Historical Society will all be receiving similar funding levels as last year.
Mayor Elisa Brosseau wanted to clarify what the reduction means. “When we talk about a reduction in the request from outside organizations we are not reducing what we have given them in the past. They are getting equal to what they got in the past. The reduction comes from the ask. So if they ask for more that is where the reduction comes from.”
CAO Bill Rogers says the number of potential asks from community groups was just about double the number last year.
As the budget sits right now Administration says the budget is balanced. Council will be revisiting and giving the final stamp in April when the tax bylaws get passed along with provincial budgets. Council needed to pass a balanced interim budget before December 31st.