Media Release – For Immediate Release – April 21, 2020
On April 7, 2020, Northern Sunrise County Council approved the 2020 to 2022 operations budget and the 2020 to 2024 capital budget. On April 21, 2020 Council approved the 2020 tax rate bylaw. Due to ongoing sound planning and fiscal management by Council and Administration, the County has been able to maintain the same mill rate for our residential, farmland and industrial properties for another year.
The downturn in Alberta’s economy and the current Pandemic have affected everyone’s lives. In an effort to mitigate the strain on our ratepayers, Council directed Administration to provide either one or the other of the following two options to County ratepayers for all tax classes for the 2020 Tax Notice Year:
- A 5% discount on the general municipal portion only for 2020 if the full balance of property taxes are paid by June 30, 2020,excluding the Education, Housing and Industrial Assessment Fee amounts;
- A deferral of the collection of 50% of the education and general municipal portion of property taxes until December 31, 2020, excluding the Housing and Industrial Assessment Fee amounts.
New projects in 2020 include working towards acquiring government grants to build cell towers in the County, business signs along the highway for the Sunrise Gateway Business Park, improvements at the Sagitawa Lookout, and the refurbishment of the first 10 km of East Ridge Road.
Other ongoing projects continuing in 2020 include the expansion of the County administration buildings, continuing work on the Murphy’s Flats Day Use Area, the oil-stabilized gravel program and drainage works within the County. Council continues to demonstrate commitment to stewardship and sound principles of asset management with initiatives within the 2020 budget directed to revitalization and replacement of identified aging infrastructure and equipment.
The 2020 municipal budget projects revenues of $33,296,846, operating expenditures of $20,985,243 and capital acquisitions expenditures of $11,693,155. Council has motioned net transfers to reserved funds of $618,448 to balance the 2020 budget.
For more information:
Carolyn Kolebaba
Reeve, Northern Sunrise County
780.617.2381
ckolebaba@northernsunrise.net