The City of Yorkton's proposed 2015 budget comes with a tax increase. The budget, which was put before council at the most recent meeting, would see a six per cent tax increase. For the average home in the city, that would mean $85 per year.
Lonnie Kaal, director of finance for the City of Yorkton explains that the tax increase is broken down into three areas. The operating budget would require two per cent to meet increased costs, with an additional one point three per cent to fund additional maintenance costs. The capital budget would receive the remainder of the funds, or two point seven per cent.
The proposed capital budget would be $13,107,960, less funding from utilities, reserves and grants that means $4,080,000 being funded from the tax base.
Drainage improvements continue to be a major project for the city, with $1,560,000 set to be spent on drainage projects in 2015. Storm line replacement will also be a priority, and Kaal says that the recent storms have given the city more information on where the city needs to focus and what is the priority for storm pipe replacement. Areas currently being looked at are the areas of Gladstone, Allanbrooke, Laurier, Agricultural, Roundabout and others along Smith and Broadway, and it will have an estimated cost of $200,000.
An urban connector grant to reconstruct Highway 9 to Mayhew is also part of the budget. A $2.2 million project, the majority would be handled by an urban connector grant from the province, with $500,000 coming from the city itself.
There is also a proposed Public Works building design, with the goal of having a detailed design and refined capital cost estimate for the eventual project.
Another major project, to be handled outside of the proposed tax increase, is an engineered landfill pit, which will cost the city a total of $5,610,760. Kaal notes that the goal with the landfill is to run it without relying on the tax base, and as a result it will be funded from approximately $3,000,000 from reserves, and the remainder coming from an internal loan.
The operating budget is largely the same, but with increasing costs in utilities, fuel and salary. Public Works would also see an additional $200,000 for pothole repair and paving, and there is a proposed $91,500 extra in people resources, including one full time person in IT, as well as an additional summer student and seasonal person in the parks department. Councillor Chris Wyatt questioned whether the extra employee in IT would be necessary and does not support the addition of that staff member.
A decision on the budget has been tabled to the council meeting on September 8, in order to allow for more time to study the document and consult with residents and business owners. Councilor Les Arnelien says that another reason to table the budget is to allow the incoming city manager to have an impact on the budget and its implementation.
