Nipawin residents can expect a tax increase in the two to three per cent range when the budget comes before council.
Council discussed a draft copy of the budget at a special meeting April 7.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is to incorporate some restructuring, change the way we focus a little bit,” said Rennie Harper, Nipawin’s mayor.
The budget is expected to be presented to the next council meeting April 24 for approval.
The mayor said the town is trying to keep taxes low as it restructures over the next eight months.
On the whole, the town’s operating budget is expected to increase by three per cent.
Operational spending on planning is expected to decrease around 27 per cent and economic development by 16 per cent. Those two areas used to be part of the community development department, which has been eliminated. Protective services is also expected to decrease by almost 10 per cent.
“We want to see what reducing everything to the minimum will do for us over the next eight months and then, as a group, we can start to think about what shall we do as we move forward and that’s part of the strategic planning [we’re going through],” Harper said. “This is us trying to be very conservative this year.”
Other departments, which are absorbing the duties of the community development department, will see an increase in their operational budget. Administration is expected to see around a 14 per cent increase, public works around 18 per cent, waste management, animal control and cemeteries by around 18 per cent, and recreation by around 14 per cent.
“Some of the other things that we’ve tried to do is try to maintain the level of funding that we’re providing to some of the organizations that we’ve provided without increasing that funding much – if any,” Harper said.
The town is also planning changes there. The mayor said the town wants to move to a fee-for-service structure starting in October so it can receive constant updates about how the money is spent and therefore make the make best decision as to who needs funding.
“When you look at the other communities around, that’s the type of thing they do. They don’t fund as many organizations as we do.”
Capital spending in the general budget is expected to be down 33 per cent, with the swimming pool receiving $1.4 million. Last year, it received $927,000. In the utilities budget, which is separate from the general budget, the new water treatment plant will receive $12.78 million in capital funding this year.
