Town council approves 2025 budget

Property taxes will see two per cent increase

By Kaicheng Xin
Staff Reporter

At the regular meeting on Dec. 17, Rocky Mountain House town council passed a 2025 operating budget of $28 million and a capital budget of $5.827 million. 

They wayfinding project sparked a discussion. It involves numerous signs showing directions to various attractions and venues. Deputy mayor Dale Shippelt said he received feedback from the public after the budget meeting with concern over the $200,000 cost of the project without knowing what the signage would look like.

He suggested two alternatives: either reducing the amount to $100,000 to see what the signage will look like or bringing the project concept forward before the administration spends the $200,000.

“Either way, it will give us a bit of control,” he said.

Councillor Tina Hutchinson mentioned that since the project has already been discussed at the service level review, keeping the budget in place doesn’t necessarily mean the administration would use all the money. Removing the item from the budget could mean “backtracking.”

Shippelt further elaborated that the council needs some kind of control rather than having administration proceed on their own, with the three-year project taking “a lot of money.”

The $200,000 wayfinding funding remained in the budget.

Council passed and adopted the 2025 operating and capital budgets with total operating revenues and expenditures of $28,042,892, as well as non-cash amortization of $3,474,250 and capital spending of $5,827,100.

According to the budget document, in 2025, ratepayers can expect a two percent tax increase. The final approved increase is 1.91 percent for residential, 2.10 percent for non-residential commercial improvement and 2.16 percent for non-residential large businesses.

“The average property bill will increase by $69 per year or $5.75 per month. Non-residential properties will increase by between $153 and $421 annually. Currently, the CPI (consumer price index) is at 2.0 per cent, and this has been factored into the budget where appropriate,” the document reads.

The operating budget of $28,042,892 is an increase from of $1,156,259 from 2024. Most of the projected revenue increase is being generated from several major sources: a total approximate tax increase of $209,000, utility revenue of $550,379, grant revenue increases of $310,581 and increased franchise fees of $159,558. Projected interest revenue in 2025 decreased by $286,900 due to the drop in interest rates.

“Expenditures have increased in protective services by $282,083 due to increased rates for the RCMP; transportation by $177,256 due to higher costs for road and equipment repairs and supplies; utilities by $736,730 due to the completion and operationalization of the mechanical wastewater treatment plant required by the Provincial government; and in recreation by $163,713 due to the addition of another maintenance staff member and higher maintenance costs for the arena and pool,” explains the budget document.

A total of $5.827 million has been allocated for capital projects, with most projects in transportation, utilities, and parks. Transportation projects consist of equipment replacement and road rehabilitation projects.

“The main water project is to fix the water main that runs beneath Highway 11A and 752 for $800,000. Over the last few years, it has suffered several breaks and requires upgrading. The main project in parks is a parking lot to support the development of the new pump track (bike park). Other projects include playground replacement and upgrading, ball diamond upgrades, trail expansion, wayfinding signage, and tree lighting on Main Street,” states the budget notes.