2022 Budget addresses staffing and inflationary pressures

Council approved the 2022 Budget on December 2 that sees Strathcona County’s high quality programs and service levels continue while addressing operational and inflationary pressures.   

The municipal operating budget approved for 2022 amounts to $397.2 million and requires a 3.11 per cent tax revenue increase.

For the average residential property assessed at $408,000, a homeowner will see an approximate $57 increase in 2022 property taxes, or an increase of $4.73 a month.

“Since 2018, the County has been examining our programs and services to streamline and find efficiencies,” says Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Cannon. “Over that time, we’ve reallocated about $24 million to higher priority programs, while bringing in budgets well under inflation and reducing our surpluses.”

These approaches have lowered the County’s operational base, and again in 2022 efficiencies were found to absorb standard cost changes for wages and benefits, and address growth and inflationary impacts, to minimize operating budget increases.

Jennifer Cannon adds, “This budget responds to what we heard from the public, to maintain services, and while we’ve become a lean organization, there are staffing needs that cannot be met without increasing our tax revenue.”

The tax revenue increase will support the County’s overstretched emergency services by adding 12 full-time firefighters. This will help manage overtime and ensure the well-being of responders. The budget also covers cost increases beyond the County’s control for RCMP contractual obligations. Council has fully supported changing some temporary positions to permanent to stabilize staffing and provide equity for these positions.

“After several years of low or no tax increases, the County has become significantly more efficient. We continue to have strong fiscal books and the lowest taxes in the region,” says Mayor Frank. “The 2022 Budget that Council approved tackles staffing inconsistencies, inflationary and operational pressures. At the same time, I will be challenging the organization to continue to find savings into future years, especially given the uncertain times ahead.”

This budget also provides for an ‘on-demand’ local transit service that means more efficient and effective transportation for residents, a greater focus on tourism development, wetlands restoration, a community cemetery assessment, a ward boundary review, and contributions to the River Valley Alliance Footbridge that will link the County to Edmonton and connect to the larger regional trail system.

The approved capital budget of $57.5 million for 2022 focuses primarily on maintenance and repair of the $2.7 billion in existing assets like facilities, park amenities, equipment, fleet and roadways. The ongoing maintenance is a key component of protecting these County assets.

New capital projects include: Open space and park amenities to mark the South Cooking Lake 100^th Anniversary in 2023, Deermound parking lot, and energy efficiency and GHG reduction projects.

Fees, rates and charges on municipal services are mainly flat.

Fees for water, wastewater, storm sewer and solid waste collection will increase by approximately $1.70 per month, or 1.44 per cent, for the average urban residential utility customer. For the average rural residential utility customer, the increase is approximately $3.01 per month, or 1.64 per cent.

These increases offset costs from regional suppliers. Utility operations are self-sustaining; municipal property taxes do not support these services, except for recycling stations and enviroservice events. The dredging of the Josephburg Lagoon and work on a truckfill strategy is also planned under utility operations.

The final municipal tax rate will be approved in the spring of 2022. In addition to the municipal property tax requirement, the tax rate will additionally factor in requisition amounts for provincial education, the Strathcona County Library, and the Heartland Housing Foundation.

For more information on the 2022 budget, or to watch the budget meeting webcasts, visit strathcona.ca/budget.

Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595