Okotoks town council started their budget discussions today (Nov. 23).

It'll be the first time going through the process for a majority of councillors, with only councillor Ken Heemeryck and Mayor Tanya Thorn having previously prepared municipal budgets.

On top of that, this will be the first four-year budget cycle, after the previous council approved the change in May of this year.

Mayor Thorn sees a few factors that'll contribute to the discussion.

"I think inflation, first of all, is going to be a huge challenge for everybody's budgets. I'm seeing predictions of inflation being anywhere from 2.5 to 5.5 per cent. That's just right off the top in times of goods and services, that inflation rate impacts us as a municipality in terms of our buying power.

"The water pipeline, I think, is going to be another element that's going to be a challenge as well in terms of the financing of it and what that impacts for other infrastructure that can be done in the community at this moment in time."

Service levels are always a primary factor, says Thorn, as there's always a balancing act between reducing services, increasing them, or keeping them the same, all of which are affected by even minute budgetary decisions.

She says many residents seem to view town budgets purely from a tax perspective, and she'd like to broaden the general public's view of what goes into a budget.

"That's where I see a need for improved communication, getting really good at articulating what it is that you get for what you're paying, what services you receive for that. I don't think we do a great job as an organization of really communicating all the services that are compiled in what a resident pays in their tax bill. I think that's a conversation we really need to get better at and have more of with our community. 'Is what you're paying giving you good value?' If it is, great. If it's not, what needs to change?"

As easy as it would be to curry favour with residents by cutting taxes, Thorn says that would lead to the complicated question of what services to cut.

"That's the piece of the conversation that we need to engage with the community because it's not as easy as 'well just cut.' Okay, well just cut what? As an example, I might say, 'OK well, we're only going to operate ice time for six days a week, that's the cut we're going to make,' because it doesn't impact me. I don't use the ice. But if you play hockey seven days a week or have kids in skating, it'd be a huge impact on you.

"So it becomes, 'How do we manage where the value is?' What creates a complete community that is servicing a variety of different activities and age groups where there's something for everyone in our community and we're all contributing to the entirety of it?"

As with last year, this will be a priority-based budget which, according to Thorn, makes it easier to allocate existing funds.

"That takes it and allows us to say, 'For this year, our priority is X, Y, and Z, so that's where we're going to focus.' That then allows us to allocate a portion of the budget that was allocated elsewhere into those priorities using the same budget instead of just saying, 'We need to increase.'"

There will be an annual check-in on the budget, where councillors review their strategic plan and priorities and make adjustments as needed.

Budget discussions are streamed live on the town's website.

 

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