M.D. of Bonnyville starts budget discussions

The M.D. of Bonnyville is preparing their financials for next year.

M.D. council and administration will begin budget deliberations Tuesday, which will be the first of five internal budget meetings, with another scheduled for Thursday.

This early process begins with departments bringing their budgets to the table for council to look at, said Reeve Greg Sawchuk.

“Each of the different parts of the organization will come forward and present their individual budgets. And without diving down too much into the details, they’ll be mainly looking at the big stuff. Council then starts the discussion,” he said.

“And out of that, some things are brought forward by administration. And it’s kind of a yay or nay, to go ahead and put them in the final budget.”

M.D. residents will have an opportunity to scrutinize budget priorities in three open house sessions this November.

The first is on Monday, November 2 at Flat Lake Community Hall, with another the following night on Tuesday, November 3 at Cherry Grove Community Hall.

The Beaver River Fish and Game Hall in Bonnyville is the site of the third open house on Monday, November 9.

All open houses are from 7:00-9:00pm.

The M.D.’s 2020 budget with operating and capital spending was just over $144 million.

Sawchuk said the M.D. will get an idea of how many residents have paid their property taxes in mid-October.

Mill rates are then set next spring.

The council committee meeting will be livestreamed on the M.D. of Bonnyville’s Youtube page.