If approved by council, the municipality’s proposed operating budget would result in a 5.6 per cent tax increase for 2016, as well as an increase to utility rates.
For a property assessed at $750,000 that increase would equate to a $117.52 tax hike, bringing the homeowner’s annual municipal tax bill to $2,216.07. Bi-monthly utility bills would also increase by $15.62, tallying $147.32 for the average residential user every two months.
For a commercial property assessed at $1 million, a 5.6 per cent tax increase would equate to an additional $796.49, for a total tax bill of $15,019.49. The utility increase would see a business’ bimonthly bill increase by about $445.40, for a total bill of around $8,938.20.
Utilities include water, sewer, garbage and recycling and are funded with a user pay model. The utility increase would result in $212,000 in additional revenue for the municipality, with the funds going toward providing and maintaining those services.
Of the municipality’s $15.7 million budget, $7.2 million is covered by municipal taxes. A 5.6 per cent tax increase equates to an overall revenue increase of $386,646 for 2016.
Council heard from the director of each of the municipality’s departments Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, during its public budget meetings. Outlined below is a brief overview of the increases for each department and the justifications provided by each municipal director.
The proposed budget is now in council’s hands. Judging by previous years, council will likely wait until the new year, when year-end numbers are available, before it makes a final decision. In the meantime, it will likely pass an interim budget at the Dec. 15 meeting, allowing administration to continue business as usual until the number comes in.
Culture and Recreation
2016 budget: $1.939 million
2015 budget: $1.758 million
Of its $3 million budget, the culture and recreation department is requesting $1.939 million to be funded by municipal taxes. That’s an increase of $180,871 over its 2015 request.
Yvonne McNabb, director of culture and recreation, explained to council that those additional funds are primarily for maintenance.
“Our buildings are aging and we have some definite issues around maintaining these buildings,” she said. “The arena is over 50 years old. This side here, in the activity centre, it was built in 1977.
The old pool was [refurbished] in 1988 ... and it was built in the late 50s.”
To keep the municipality’s facilities functioning, the culture and recreation department is requesting additional funds to replace chlorine pumps and chemical controls in the aquatic centre, upgrade the ammonia detection system, repair infrared heaters above the ice, install heat exchangers in the activity centre, and to hire an architect to assess the arena and aquatic centre for possible renovations in 2018.
The study will determine if the renovations—a new ice surface and dressing rooms in the arena and a new heating and ventilation system and slide in the aquatic centre—are doable in the existing buildings.
“We don’t know that for sure yet, so that’s what we’ve hired them to do,” said McNabb, who anticipates the feasibility report will be completed by the end of April and suggested the renovations will likely tally up to about $6.5 million worth of work.
The culture and recreation department is also requesting funding for the operation of the new library and cultural centre, which the municipality expects to open early in the new year.
Although it’s requesting further funding, the culture and recreation department will not be increasing its fees in 2016. Ice time, gym passes and hall rentals will cost the same as they did in 2015.
“We have done a review of other facilities and right now we are in many situations at least 10 per cent higher than most other areas, so we’re trying to keep our fees level,” said McNabb.
“The last time we didn’t have a fee increase we actually saw an increase in revenue ... because people were looking at it saying, I can afford to come, I can afford to do this.”
Operations
2016 budget: $1.935 million
2015 budget: $1.793 million
The operations department, which is responsible for everything from the town’s roads, sidewalks, snow removal, garbage collection and the waste water treatment plant, is requesting a total budget of about $2.466 million, with $1.935 million coming from municipal taxes.
The operations department is requesting a budget increase of $57,507 as well as the $212,000 utility increase, to reorganize its department and hire new staff, maintain the library and cultural centre, and maintain the municipality’s vehicles and machinery.
The new positions include an accounts payable clerk, utilities manager and a maintenance worker.
“The key to an effective and sustainable long term management plan is to do the right thing to the right asset at the right time, and without these resources we’re going to be challenged to stay ahead of things,” said Bruce Thompson, director of operations, while explaining the need for three new positions in his department.
Thompson told council that if the municipality wants to start being proactive, rather than reactive, in maintaining its infrastructure, the operations department needs to be reorganized, with three managers, rather than two. That would mean having a fleet and maintenance manger, public works and waste manager and a utilities manager.
“The public works and waste manager will provide daily and seasonal services in grounds, roads, waste and recycling; the fleet and maintenance manager will provide maintenance, capital purchases and capital project supervision for all town-owned facilities and our fleet.
“The utility manager will provide maintenance, capital purchases and capital project supervision for the water distribution and sewer collection systems.”
To ensure that the department’s managers are making the best use of their time, Thompson said it is also imperative that operations have its own accounts payable clerk—currently it shares with the finance department.
“Due to the lack of resources, this task is falling primarily on department managers and this really isn’t an effective use of their time,” he said.
Between those three positions, the operations department is proposing a $231,992 increase in salaries and benefits—however, by finding efficiencies elsewhere in the budget and reallocating expenditures, it is only asking for a total budget increase of $57,507.
Finance and Administration
2016 budget: $956,307
2015 budget: $1.07 million
The finance and administration department is proposing a decrease of $114,235 in its 2016 budget, largely due to a reduction in salaries and benefits created by a turnover of staff.
Natasha Malenchak, director of finance, explained that the outgoing staff in the administration department were all near the end of the pay grid, having worked for the municipality for a number of years, while the new staff are starting at the lower end of the grid.
“We’re starting at the beginning,” she said about herself, the new accounts payable clerk, and front desk clerk.
There are also reductions created by the completion of one-time projects, like the development of a new municipal website, which was completed in 2015, and the Hakone exchange, which saw members of Jasper’s sister city visit last July.
The finance and administration department is responsible for the annual municipal budget, communications, human resources, accounts payable and council.
In its budget for 2016, finance and administration is proposing to add funds for additional staff training opportunities, as well as for the implementation of the strategic asset management plan, which will require additional administrative time.
Protective Services
2016 budget: $775,891
2015 budget: $682,218
Protective services is requesting a budget increase of $93,673 in order to hire a second deputy fire chief and keep up to date with the latest training opportunities.
Between salary and benefits, the additional deputy fire chief accounts for $66,291 of the requested increase.
“Five years ago, I presented to council that we were forecasting the need for a third full-time position in the fire department, with the inception date being 2016,” said Greg Van Tighem, Jasper’s fire chief and director of protective services.
Van Tighem explained that at all times the fire department has to have someone ready to respond within 60 seconds and with only two full time employees, he and his deputy fire chief are strained.
“Operations in our world are very unpredictable. My pager can go off anytime. An incident can happen anytime. We always have to be ready, we always have to be prepared and we always have to be resourced and staffed for anything.”
As well as the need for another person to be on call and ready to respond, Van Tighem said training needs have increased in recent years, as have the number of fire inspections that are required in the community and the amount of administrative work that goes along with running a legal and efficient fire department.
He said those are some of the justifications for adding another full time employee.
“Personally I feel it’s something that’s a bit overdue for a few years, but it’s going to go a long way to providing for a safer and healthier community.”
Community and Family Services
2016 budget: $403,427
2015 budget: $383,763
Community and family services is the department that’s the least reliant on municipal taxes. It accounts for just $403,427 of tax funded expenditures, with about $1.5 million of its budget coming from government grants.
“The budget I’m presenting is $1.9 million, however the municipal contribution in that budget is $403,000. The municipal contribution allows me to leverage the other $1.5 million,” explained Kathleen Waxer, director of community and family services.
The municipal tax funding provides the infrastructure for Community Outreach Services, including everything from the building to the photocopier, computers, furniture, pens and paper, and it also includes an $11,000 contribution to the Jasper Victim Services Unit.
“You’ll notice that virtually every line in the budget has remained the same as in 2015, with the exception of the wage lines. The increases to the salary and benefit lines are emanating from both the union agreement and the non-union renumeration agreement.”
In the proposed 2016 budget, community and family services—which is responsible for everything from the Wildflowers Childcare Centre to Community Outreach Services and Community Dinners—is requesting an additional $19,664 to cover those salary increases, as well as adjustments in the cost of administrative supplies and services.
The remaining $1.3 million collected in taxes is budgeted for land rent and planning, which is paid out to Parks Canada, as well as funds for the environmental stewardship program, the Jasper Community Housing Corporation, and the library and cultural centre.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
