NORTH BATTLEFORD — North Battleford's council approved a 4.27 per cent tax increase, a decision driven by several pressing financial obligations.
Of the total increase, 1.58 per cent is attributed to the rising costs associated with the local RCMP contract. While this hike won’t alter the service, it does reflect the federally negotiated salary increases for officers. “
The only control we have with the RCMP is how many members we have,” said Mayor Kelli Hawtin, indicating that service levels often restrict any potential to reduce expenses by cutting personnel.
Capital work accounts for 0.88 per cent, where part of that is regarding savings for capital, ensure there are reserves to fund future capital work.
“For example, a project down the road, like a ball field that needs to be rebuilt, or something like that. Those projects are very expensive, so we try to put money away every year so that in the future we have funding towards different types of capital projects,” said Hawtin.
The city is also grappling with substantial infrastructure needs, as evidenced by its 10-year capital plan focusing on replacing outdated water and sewer pipelines. Some of these lines are nearing a century old, and the frequent water main breaks have created a financial burden on the city’s operational budget. “
In the end, it will save costs of repairing water line breaks,” continued Hawtin.
City operations account for 1.93 per cent of this tax increase, which, despite the hike, remains well below the current rate of inflation. The council has cited the need to accommodate cost-of-living adjustments for unionized salaries while preserving existing service levels.
Utility rate increases for water and sanitary sewer services were also approved to ensure timely adjustments for ratepayers ahead of the 2025 fiscal year. This measure avoided potential delays that could arise from the upcoming municipal election, where a newly sworn-in council might have found it difficult to address these rate changes.
Public engagement remains a priority for the city's council, as evidenced by the open nature of budget deliberation meetings, which commenced on Jan. 7 and concluded with the approval of the budget on Jan. 23.
