After two years of consecutive decreases Dauphin ratepayers will see a modest increase in the mill rate charged against their properties this year as city council approved its 2022 budget Monday evening.
As it did last year, council used the funds remaining from a federal restart grant received in 2020 to lower the amount raised by taxation by $200,000. That amount still represents a 1.6 per cent increase over last year’s numbers.
In the end the increase in the mill rate from 18.039 in 2021 to 18.332 in 2022 will raise $6,382,457. That increase means a residential property will pay $9.58 more per $100,000 of assessed value while commercial properties will pay $6.99 more per $100,000 of assessed value.
When income from other sources such transfers from reserves. taxes added, business licenses, the provincial municipal operating grant, provincial public safety grant and other federal and provincial grants are factored in, the City will have just under $12.5 million to support its operations this year.
In presenting the financial plan, city manager Sharla Griffths said the budget supports a continued level of spending on municipal infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, and water distribution and no program cuts.
“This year’s budget was very tough to set, as council’s directive was to hold the line at the 2020 tax level and then reduce it by $200,000 and take that money from reserves that we got from the federal government. However, there are many expenditures in 2022 that were unforeseen and unavoidable. Some of them are higher than anticipated RCMP retro pay and wages. very high snowfall in 2022 already and we don’t know what is coming in the fall. There is a reduction in our taxes added in 2022 due to a slowdown in development. There is an increase in the requirement for airport funding this year and, as everybody is feeling, there is a significant increase in the cost of fuel and natural gas,” Griffiths said. “We are very fortunate that council’s directive could be met by drawing from our reserve funds. That being said, council is drawing wisely and responsibly from the reserves to ensure financial stability and security into the future.”
In the general fund most budget areas will see increases, Griffiths said.
General Government Services has been set at $1,426,030, an increase of 7.5 per cent, while Protective Services is set at $3,564,549, an increase of 14 per cent and Transportation Services is set at $1,865,058, an increase of 5.51 per cent. Environmental Health has a budget of $1,013,638, an increase of 0.25 per cent, Environmental Development Services is set at $293,981, an increase of 32.61 per cent, Recreation Cultural Services increases 1.1 per cent to $2,005,800 and Public Health and Welfare Services remains unchanged at $33,749.
Economic Development Services – was the one budget area to decrease, dropping 19.07 per cent to $413,192.
Planned General Fund capital expenditures and reserve transfers $4,478,506, an almost $1 million increase in capital projects and reserve transfers over 2021.
In the Utility Fund water revenue has been budgeted at $2,383,737 and wastewater revenue is estimated at $647,608.
Operating expenditures on the water side has been set at $2,025,101, an increase of 8.45 per cent. The increase is due mainly to due to wage increases, routine water system assessment report, work on the agreement with RMNP with regards to the Edwards Lake water source, and water main breaks.
Operating expenditures on the wastewater side have been set at $398,675, a decrease of 4.46 per cent due to less required maintenance this year.
Planned capital expenditures in the Utility Fund total just over $2.3 million.
More information on the budget can be found in next week’s Dauphin Herald.
