91原创 City homeowners could be paying another 9.97 per cent on their property taxes this year, as the council considers adding more RCMP officers, firefighters, and putting money towards future infrastructure.

During the Monday, Feb. 12 council meeting, director of corporate services Darrin Leite ran through a summary of the proposed 2024 municipal budget.

Major factors in the budget include adding three RCMP officers, three new firefighters, a bylaw officer, and an emergency management advisor.

There will also be transfers to reserves, including $4.5 million going to water, sewer, and general operations reserves.

The City is also looking to spend $25.68 million on capital improvement projects, including water and sewer upgrades and money for protective services.

A big chunk of that is a projected $11 million for buying land for a future RCMP detachment headquarters. The Township announced last year that it wanted to de-integrate the shared RCMP force that has policed City and Township for decades. Since the existing detachment building is in the Township and is owned by them, the City will need its own space for its officers.

Councillor Delaney Mack expressed apprehension about the tax increase, especially in light of last year鈥檚 double-digit jump. She also asked if the City was causing a service deficit of RCMP officers in the Township, which is one reason the Township has given for de-integrating the police service.

The Township argues that more officers are in the City during their shifts, per capita, than in the Township, because there are more calls to the RCMP there.

Mayor Nathan Pachal said it was his understanding that the City was paying for the correct number of RCMP officers and was not causing a service deficit for the Township.

Another $3 million is set aside for a new ladder truck for the fire department.

The City is cautiously budgeting $7.5 million in revenues from the Cascades Casino. For the last two years, the casino delivered just over $8 million in revenues, finally bouncing back after that source of funding was gutted by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淚f the actual revenues don鈥檛 hit the target, then we would have to assess some of the planned future projects,鈥� Leite said of the casino funds.

Out of the 9.97% tax increase, more than half is essentially inflation or rising costs, Leite said.

The council heard from several members of the public, most of whom were against the scale of the tax increase.

鈥淭his is horrible, it鈥檚 so hard for young families and seniors on fixed incomes to survive here,鈥� said Victoria Krell.

She suggested the City needs to trim something from the budget, especially after last year鈥檚 tax increase of 11.56 per cent.

The council will be discussing the budget and tax increase at its next regular meeting on Monday, March 4.

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