This year, for a third consecutive year, Kamsack property owners will see no increase in taxes.
At its regular meeting March 28, town council approved a budget for 2016 which calls for a tax rate of 30 mills, the same amount as has been levied for the two previous years.
“We have also made no change to the mill rate factor,” Mayor Rod Gardner said, explaining that the mill rate factor for residences is .275.
“We increased the residential mill rate factor last year which resulted in a very slight increase in residential taxes,” Gardner said. The commercial mill rate factor remains at 1.1.
The taxation, including other levies, will generate $1.6 million of a total budget of $3.8 million, while expenses are expected to total $3.72 million resulting in a budget surplus of about $80,000.
Revenues other than taxation include utilities at about $800,000; grants, $630,000; various fees and charges, $540,000 and grants in lieu of taxes, $200,000.
Among significant expenditures will be $1.1 million for public works, which includes about $200,000 for pavement repair and slurry work, Gardner said, adding that last year council had spent that amount on pavement improvements.
The bucket truck that public works received recently will take about $11,000 from the 2016 budget and it is expected it will cost about $4,000 to replace the skid steer.
“We’re also planning to buy some lawnmowers,” he said. “We will need new dump trucks but we’re not planning to get them this year.”
“We plan to do more concrete shaving,” he said, adding that in 2015 council spent about $10,000 to complete about half the required work, and the remainder should be done this year.
Also during the regular meeting, council accepted a recommendation of the fire chief and approved the application from Ronaldo Bonus to join the Kamsack Volunteer Fire Department.
It was agreed to forward to the Kamsack handi-bus committee the funds from the provincial TAPD (Transit Assistance for People with Disabilities) grant, less the cost of the license plates. Council decided to cap the amount it pays towards a handi-bus driver at $8,000 a year with the town continuing to manage the tender and payment process and billing back the handi-bus committee the portion that exceeds $8,000 annually.
Council decided to engage Urban Systems to create a community profile brochure for a cost not to exceed $5,000.
“We visited Urban Systems representatives during the SUMA (Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) convention,” Gardner said, adding that the company would assist with distribution of the brochures which would focus on attracting district farmers about to retire and possibly encourage mine employees at places like Esterhazy to consider acquiring accommodation at Kamsack.
It was agreed to not provide approval to the Kamsack Indoor Rodeo committee to use the Broda Sportsplex for this year’s rodeo until after the status of the skating arena’s concrete pad is determined.
