Battleford Town Council completed its second round of budget deliberations Monday.
While the previous session covered protective services and sewer and water budgets, the second session covered transportation, environmental health services, recreation and culture, general government services and the Town's revenues.
The Town's transportation services budget was under budget by around 30 per cent. The projected budget was $10,535,508, but total transportation costs were only $7,192,979. Significant differences were made in street light construction (the town did not install any street lights, though they had budgeted $4,000) and consumable inventory left over from last year also played a role. Though the town had budgeted to spend $39,000 on gravel, sand and salt, it spent only $11,190.
Sidewalks were also about a ninth of their budget at $4,490 after the town had budgeted $40,000. Lastly, the town's much-lauded decorations came in at just under half their budgeted costs at $6,940 after the town had budgeted $12,500
The vast majority of the town's transportation budget was made up in capital outlay, which went towards the highway twinning project. The town budgeted a total of $9.5 million to pay for the project and spent only around $6.3 in 2011.
Next year's transportation budget estimate totals just under $1 million more than this year's total. The budget lists small increases in salaries, travel/training and street maintenance costs. The sidewalks budget estimate for next year is also the same as the estimate for this year, despite how little the town spent in 2011. One large increase is for the North Saskatchewan River Bridge, as it is due for a $13,800 bridge inspection in May. Next year's budget for highway construction is just under $7 million.
The lion's share of the sum, $4.7 million, will go to highway construction, with around $1.7 million going to local improvements. In total, the Town is paying 25 per cent of the total cost of the highway twinning project, totalling around $2.675 million.
The town's environmental health services budget was largely on track, totalling $6,000 under budget at $170,871.
The town's recreation and culture budget was also close to budgeted amounts. Administration and arena spending were almost perfectly on budget at $117,592 and $242,840, respectively, representing a deviation of just under two per cent of predicted values.
The Battleford Flats budget was about two-thirds of its projected total at $22,878, with the difference made up in utilities and maintenance costs. Because of a water billing problem, the town had budgeted drastically more than was needed.
The Alex Dillabough Centre also ran under budget, with most of the difference being made up in maintenance costs. The projected cost of maintenance was $44,200 and the Town spent only $29,860. Next year's prediction is even lower, at $11,000.
The totals for the Town's parks and playgrounds and the Tot Lot were also under budget by $10,000 each. Total spending on the parks and playgrounds was thus $134,402 and total spending on the tot lot was $21,085. The Tot Lot ended the year as a net revenue generator, as it brought in a little over $11,000.
Out of the last three budget items, Eiling Kramer Campground, the library and Fred Light Museum, the campground was under budget by around $14,000, with total spending at $66,887. The library was within less than 0.1 per cent of its projected budget with spending of $64,893, and the museum was the only item in recreation and culture that was over budget, with spending at $90,705 after it had been budgeted $69,950. Much of the difference was made in maintenance, where spending was more than two and a half times the projected budget, $9,250, at $25,819.
The campground, like the Tot Lot, was a net revenue generator, with profits of $87,000. And the costs of the museum were offset somewhat by donations and grants from Young Canada Works and the Museum Association. These contributions totalled $9,185.
A substantial portion of the recreation and culture budget was made up of capital outlay costs, which were a fraction of their projected value. The town budgeted $695,350, to be spent on a large variety of projects around town and spent only $252,000. The difference was made up by a block of $500,000 for the opera house that was not spent, as the town is waiting for more work before renovations start.
The Town's general services budget was slightly below predicted levels at about $972,000 compared to the budgeted amount of about $1 million. The differences were made in the town's travel/training spending, which was only $9,000 after $21,000 was budgeted, maintenance spending, which was about a quarter below its predicted value ($15,000 of spending compared to $22,000 of budgeted money) and Ag. Canada spending, which was only about $600 after the town had budgeted almost $5,000. Next year the Town budgets almost the exact same amount as last year.
Town spending on cemeteries was dramatically lower than expected, as the Town did not pay for maintenance and did not have to pay workers as much. Out of a budgeted amount of $28,000, the town spent only about $9,000.
The final budget item, environmental development services, including such categories as tourism, community development and economic development, was under budget by about $11,000 ($123,000 vs. $112,000). Next year the town is budgeting to spend about $128,000. A tiny fraction of this money is the Town's contribution to the Terry Bradshaw piece on the Battlefords.
The second budget meeting also saw the town discussing revenue. The town collected about $2 million in taxes in 2011, almost exactly the amount they had expected the year before. The skating rink and waste collection fees were also large revenue generators, creating about $111,000 and $262,000 in revenue last year, respectively. The Town also received a windfall of sorts from provincial and local fines. Expecting to make only $15,000, the Town made almost double, about $26,000. The difference was likely made up in large part by the increased number of speeding tickets issued to drivers foolish enough to go over 60 in the construction zone. Nevertheless, the tickets were a tiny fraction of the money the Town made from fees and charges. After budgeting $717,000 last year, the town made $851,000.
But the vast majority of the town's total revenue came from government grants. Out of a total revenue of about $11.44 million, $7.4 million was conditional and unconditional grants from the federal and provincial governments.
Finally, the town's expectations for next year were laid out. The town expects to generate a total of $8.8 million in revenue and spend a total of $5 million. The difference will lead to a deficit of approximately $241,000.
