After a long debate at the Dec. 14 council meeting, the Town of Cochrane staff with mayor and council approved the 2016 budget with a property tax increase of .56 per cent, decreased from the proposed 1.3 per cent. The debate surrounded the capital and operating budget where mayor and council tried to figure out ways to cut costs to bring the property-tax increase to zero per cent.
Coun. Morgan Nagel voiced his concern about the municipal government pay increase, saying he could not ethically approve the budget to allow the town government to receive a pay increase when there are families and businesses struggling.
The rest of the councillors disagreed with Nagel’s concern.
Coun. Jeff Toews compared the 1.3-per-cent increase the town government was receiving to that of surrounding communities, such as the over three-per-cent increase Calgary’s municipal government is receiving for 2016.
Coun. Ross Watson asked, what does it tell the town staff what they think of them if they did not increase their pay? Toews also said it is not fair to take away the pay increase of hard-working employees.
“This is a council that wants to be efficient and we are doing the best we can and our staff are doing the best of their job,” Toews said.
Mayor and councillors looked into other options to decrease the tax increase.
It was suggested to hold off on updating the Town of Cochrane office software to save money, until it was revealed that the current software was from the 1980’s and the software update would equal long-term savings.
“I had questions about this software when I was first elected to office in 1995,” Watson exclaimed.
After more discussion, it was decided to eliminate the second bylaw officer and to extend the original three-year loan from the town for the office software update, to a five-year loan to save money. These two cost-cutting measures reduced the property tax increase from 1.3 per cent down to .56 per cent.
All councillors except Nagel approved the 2016 capital and operating budget. All other sections of the budget were unanimously approved by council, except for the 2016 fire operating budget, where Coun. Gaynor Levisky had to leave the council chambers during discussion and the decision, due to conflict of interest. The town’s total expenditure budget for 2016 is $46.7 million with an estimated property-tax increase of .56 per cent (assessed at $465,800) by $0.95 a month or $11.41 for the year. The total property taxes in the 2016 budget are $22,915,893.
The Town of Cochrane also approved $397,043 for the annual grants.
Full budget documents are available on www.cochrane.ca/Budget
