Coronation council held a special meeting on Tues. May 4 to go over details of the 2021 municipal operating budget.
Approximately 12 areas within the budget were asked to be addressed.
The panel waited until the Mon. May 10 meeting to solidify the operating budget which was approved as presented.
The mill rate will not increase this year.
Because of this and the following adjustments, the town was left with an $8,000 surplus.
This money is being put towards swimming pool salaries.
Council asked when the local swimming pool would be open.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Quinton Flint shared that they are aiming to be open May Long Weekend like previous years, including finishing renovations.
The CAO mentioned that this is the first year the provincial police costing model comes into effect.
One of the stipulations is that municipalities cannot break out a separate line item to show taxpayers why the total mill rate has increased.
“This is the way the province wants it to be written,” said CAO Flint.
Coronation in particular is expected to be paying $17,463.62 for police costs in 2021.
Council asked to have Communities in Bloom funding scaled back to sit at $9,500 from $16,500 that was budgeted for 2020.
Coronation will provide the swimming pool with a total budget of $15,000 for repairs and maintenance while budgeting in the future to repair the pool further as well as the building.
Repairs and replacement of fire hydrants is $25,000.
Additional funding of $2,380 was moved to the historical caboose which was in need of repairs.
Community funding was provided to the following: Coronation Arena, $10,000; Coronation Curling Association, 15,000; the Coronation and District Handibus Society, $5,000; Coronation Community Centre, $3,500; Coronation Memorial Library, $14,000; and the Coronation Elk & Community Golf Club, $50,000.
Council officially passed the operating budget at their regular meeting on Mon. May 10.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
