Budget 2019: Revenue and Cashflow

Often the central conversations about municipal budgets revolve around residential property rates. I’d suggest that we should have a much larger conversation about the budget.

In 2018, residential properties only accounted for a little over 50% of the total tax levies in Grande Prairie. They funded about 25% of the total capital and operating budgets. While it is very important for Council to be aware of residential tax rates, there are many other sources of revenue and factors which effect cash flow. All of these need to be considered when creating the budget.

Read More
Budget 2019: Getting to 0%

This week I published two very optimistic blog posts. One outlined my four goals: to increase funding for crime, roads, and Leisure Centre planning without raising taxes. The other outlined City initiatives that will help us better spend and target money. I feel very optimistic about the upcoming budget.

That being said, I also do want to acknowledge a challenge before us. There are added expenses and financial pressures in 2019 that did not exist in 2018.

Read More
Guest UserbudgetComment
Budget 2019: Savings and Re-aligments

I don't think it is often possible for an organisation to do more in some service areas while also cutting taxes. And it certainly shouldn't be expected to happen year-over-year. Eventually you get to a point where you at least need to raise taxes enough to keep up with inflation.

That being said, I think there are significant opportunities before us this year…

In this blog post I’ll talk about the expense side of our balance sheet. I will discuss how the City is working to both find savings and to better target spending.

Read More