BARRHEAD - The County of Barrhead councillors unanimously approved the municipality's 2025 interim operating and capital budgets during their final meeting of 2024 on Dec. 17.
The budget is necessary so that the municipality can continue to operate until it passes its final budget, which isscheduled to come before the council for approval in mid-April. The property tax bylaw, which sets the mill rate, is approved after the final budget, usually at the same meeting.
The interim operating budget is $19,563,734, with a capital budget of $6,408,757. The budget includes a 3.46 per cent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
County manager Debbie Oyarzun noted that the municipality has a tradition of adopting an Interim budget rather than going straight to the final document, so the finance team has the latest information on property assessment, municipal department surpluses, and the status of any higher-level government grants that could impact the budget.
Finance and administration director Tamara Molzahn added that council helped shape the budget through a series of budget workshops in September, October and November, along with a strategic priorities workshop.
2025 priority projects
Molzahn noted that in October, council identified several priority projects, ranking them in order of importance; the first is to add a 0.45 full-time-equivalent (FTE) safety supervisor position at $52,000, the others being making a seasonal part-time 0.33 FTE to a permanent part-time position at 0.60 FTE at $25,000, the continuation of the wastewater lagoon capacity study, this time for Manola (studies for the Dunstable and Thunder Lake lagoons are already complete) at $17,000, the creation of a herbicide budget at $50,000, $5,000 for Community Futures Yellow Head East (CFYE) market support and $117,000 for a new director position and the realignment of the development officer.
The latter became necessary when the former county development officer left for a position with the Town of Barrhead.
Molzahn added that, following subsequent budget meetings, the council had initially included a $210,000 expenditure for further gravel pit development at Moosewallow.
Interim budget expenditures by function
Transportation and road maintenance make up the most significant portion, accounting for over 40 per cent of the operational budget at $7,969,557. The next highest expenditure is the requisitions the municipality collects on behalf of the province for education, designated properties and social and senior housing at 15 per cent or $3,025,690, followed by utilities and waste management at 12 per cent or $2,393,783, general services and administration at nine per cent or $1,836,566, planning and development and agricultural services at eight per cent or $1,521,138, protective and emergency services at seven per cent at $1,411,522, recreation and cultural services at $951,790, legislative services at two per cent or $376,589 and the municipality's Family Community Support Services contribution at one per cent at $77,149.
Capital budget
The 2025 capital budget includes four bridge projects. Molzahn noted three bridges have secured Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) funding, which is attached to them, while the municipality is funding through its own funds.
STIP is a provincial grant program that allows municipalities to receive roughly 75 per cent of the funding for approved infrastructure projects.
"We are also planning to apply for [STIP] funding for three more bridges, but that wouldn't be until the 2026 construction season," she said.
Molzahn added the municipality for the 2024 plans to complete four road reconstruction projects totalling 6.25 miles.
The budget also includes three new pieces of public works equipment: an equipment scan tool, an AC recovery unit, and a portable steamer with a trailer.
Molzahn said the municipality's new bylaw enforcement department, launched a year ago, will receive a new portable scale unit and a new LIDAR speed detection device.
The municipality also plans to replace several or upgrade existing assets in 2025, including a new grader, repairs to the public works shop door, upgrades to the Barrhead Regional Fire Service's training facility and replacing Engine 33, renovations to the administration building, including upgrading the phone system and Internet servers, upgrades to the Manola pumphouse and reservoir, and the two-tonne spray truck.
Molzahn said the budget also includes replacements for the pasture sprayer, quad tank sprayer, and plastic applicator for the ag rental program.
The 2025 capital budget's expenditures will be funded by an estimated $2,020,000 in provincial grants, $410,000 from the sale of assets, $1,819,000 from reserves, and $1,300,000 from property tax.
Also included in the capital budget is an estimated $1,975,000 to be added to capital reserves.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
