M.D. of Bonnyville residents will see a tax increase, as the council passed the operating and capital budget for 2023 last week. 

At last Wednesday’s Nov. 23rd council meeting, council passed the interim budgets, after deliberating during Committee of the Whole meetings the previous week. 

Council also approved a two per cent tax increase, and will be implementing a one per cent Environment Levy in 2023.

The Operating Budget came in at $109.5 million, while the Capital Budget, not including carryover projects from 2022, came in at $20.1 million. 

“This has been a challenging budget,” said Reeve Barry Kalinski in a press release. “Revenues and assessments are down,  while expenditures have increased.” 

“There were tough decisions to be made. We’ve come off of years of prosperity and zero tax increases to now having to raise the rates a little to make sure we can continue to offer our residents  he services they need — not necessarily the services they want — and plan for the future so we can continue to offer those services, while continuing to put money in reserve for larger projects.”

The municipality said this puts them in line with its five year Strategic Plan, which passed early this year, which includes a viable and diversified regional economy, enhancing safety in the community, and promoting community development.

In May, the mill rate will be decided after provincial requisitions are found out and proper assessments are made. 

The M.D. says they remain as one of the lowest municipal residential tax rates in Alberta.

There will be a transfer of roughly $1.2 million to operating reserves with the tax increase.

Last year, there will no tax increases for M.D. residents.