In spite of a few categories being higher than expected, the financial position of the town is about where it should be.
CAO Theresa Fuller handed council an update at its Oct. 17 meeting, explaining that revenues for the most part are lining up with administration’s projections and that expenses are working out despite some additional repairs being done.
“A lot of the revenue is pretty much been in alignment,” she said, adding that overall expenses as of Sept. 30 are at 73 per cent and leaves the town in good shape for the balance of 2019.
Some of the higher expenses came from added costs for firefighter and other staff training courses plus unexpected equipment repairs for the fire department and public works.
Rural crime
Couns. Rob McDonald, Lynn Schultz and Darren Pearson updated the rest of council on their attending a meeting in Camrose Oct. 9 on rural crime with the Justice minister Doug Schweitzer.
“Crime bad,” was McDonald’s summation of the meeting.
He added, “Nothing surprising came of it. Several people tried to question the minister about the new police funding model, but all he would talk about is how those funds would go toward new police officers.
“And anytime anyone tried to ask about the ramifications of this on municipal budgets, he was extremely evasive.”
The minister did say the province would like to hire 25 prosecutors to fill current vacancies then add 50 more.
The three councillors didn’t outright say the meeting was a waste of time, but find the minister’s assertion that all this new money would go to front line services when there are positions not being filled now.
One change
Council also held its annual organizational meeting prior to the regular council meeting that night and kept the status quo for its meetings and committee appointments.
The lone change was an amendment to the master rates and schedule bylaw, increasing the allotted amount for meals. A per day flat rate of $90, with receipts, is up from $60. The change also includes the potential for approval of a higher amount depending upon the location of a conference or training session.