A responsible budget and keeping costs down have the Town of Okotoks one of the most fiscally responsible municipalities in the province for 2016.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently released their Alberta Municipal Spending 2016 report and Okotoks is ninth on the list and first when it comes to the Calgary Region.

Finance & Systems Director for the Town of Okotoks Rolland Russell says the Town has been running a tight ship when it comes to keeping costs down but getting the most out of it's services provided to residents.

"I've worked for the City of Edmonton, EPCOR, did a stint with Sturgeon County and this is a very well run administration and a very well run town," he says. "It's lean and we're pretty effective at delivering services."

The 2017 Budget only sees a small increase in taxes for Okotokians at 1.7% or an additional $38 a year, Russell says that's below the provincial average.

"We look at comparisons where we sit against our peers and the province's financial indicator graph which they release every November and in every instance we're below the median as far as spending goes our taxes are below the median and that's how we're able to maintain that low tax level."

Russell says with the cap on Okotoks population of 30,000 people they've been able to keep costs down but once they pass that threshold with annexation and the potential potable water pipeline which would allow the Town to continue to grow, so do the future costs.

"When that happens our costs are going to go up whatever year that is but I do know that it will happen so some municipalities that are larger than us say Airdrie as an example. They've reached that stage already and so their prices have gone up because they have to increase their service level."

Cold Lake was given the number one rank in Alberta.

The full list can be found here.

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