Turner Valley residents will pay a bit more for their property taxes this year.
On Dec. 21, Town council approved a 2.5 per cent increase in its 2016 operating budget over last year, which means the average home worth $325,000 will see an increase from last year’s $2,600 to $2,652 this year. This doesn’t take into account the school or Foothills Foundation requisitions, which have yet to be determined.
“It will be an increase, but it shouldn’t be a substantial increase,” said Coun. Dona Fluter. “It sounds like big numbers. It’s actually not.”
The Town is facing one of its highest capital budgets at $9 million, but $7 million will go towards remaining flood recovery and protection work for the water treatment plant, up river raw water exploration and potential treatment and pipeline discovery – all of which should be covered by flood-related grants.
The remaining $2 million will go toward such projects as sewer lines on Windsor Avenue at a cost of $850,000, repaving the residential portion of Royalite Way at $100,000 and $100,000 for parks, pathway and recreation projects.
Coun. John Waring, who sits on the parks, pathways and recreation committee, said the group is working on an overall plan and will establish priorities for 2016 in March.
Barry Williamson, Turner Valley chief administrative officer, said the Town’s long term capital projects for the next few years will be reviewed and determined following a strategic planning session in March and the joint growth study, a partnership with Black Diamond to determine a growth plan for the next 60 years.
The Town will put $600,000 into operating reserves this year, some of which may be used to cover costs from last year’s environmental appeal process, another $100,000 will be placed in capital project reserves to offset depreciation of assets and another $160,000 to offset a drop in assessments.
Increasing costs the Town is facing this year include a 1.3 per cent cost of living wage and salary hike for staff and a 25 per cent increase in its contribution to the Sheep River Library.
While water, garbage and recycling rates will remain unchanged for residents, Williamson said the sewer rates will increase by 15 per cent.
“Sewer was generally considered to be about 80 per cent of water,” he said. “What we’re finding from the data out of the collection system is there is a lot more water ending up in the sewer system. It’s tracking more like 100 per cent or better.”
Information presented to council on Dec. 21 shows that of the 247,596 cubic metres of water produced in 2015, 67 per cent was collected.
In an effort to reduce that loss, the Town budgeted $160,000 to install new water metres in about 300 homes this year. About 50 were installed last year.
“There is always an acceptable loss and we are above it, but if we put new metres that are working we are starting to recover the water produced in our billing system,” Williamson told council.
“We are going through the older portions of town where there is older meters and making sure every house has metres that work. That’s why the replacement program is quite extensive.”
Williamson told council that he believes some residents are getting water they aren’t paying for.
“We replaced most of our water lines so the losses is either through the water line to the houses or water metres. We are going to narrow that loss when we get our new metres installed.”
Another project on the books this year is changing the speed limits in Turner Valley’s residential areas.
Although the Town had budgeted costs associated with reducing the speed limit from 50 km/hr to 40 last year, the project isn’t expected to take place for another three to four months.
In response to an inquiry from Mayor Kelly Tuck about the status of the project, planning coordinator Matthew Atkinson said he expects to receive quotes by the end of 2015 and in another two months have the signs created. He said it will take another month to install the signs and raise community awareness.
Atkinson added the town’s playground zone signs will also be replaced so they will have consistent start and end times.
