City of Red Deer
Red Deer City Council looking to keep tax increase just below 1%
From The City of Red Deer
2020 Operating Budget approved with direction for further reductions
After five days of deliberations, City Council approved a $389 million Operating Budget, reducing the proposed 2.49 per cent tax increase to 1.26 per cent with direction to identify further savings to reduce to 0.97 per cent.
To achieve the reduced tax rate, Council directed administration to identify an additional $400,000 in cost savings by the end of February.
“Our goal is to always keep the budget and cost of living in Red Deer as affordable as possible withoutcompromising our ability to provide quality services to our citizens,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “Administration met Council’s guidelines set in the spring, but with the continued economic recession, we need to find further savings which will result in a significantly reduced budget than we were originally expecting.”
To make the initial reductions to the proposed tax rate during deliberations, Council approved approximately $2.1 million in corporate cost savings, revenues, and efficiencies. These savings included eliminating a $500,000 transfer from operating to the operating reserve tax supported fund, as well as reducing the proposed 2020 capital contribution from one per cent to 0.5 per cent at a value of $682,000.
“In response to the economy, we have frozen staffing levels in 2020, with the exception of policing to address community safety challenges,” said Mayor Veer.
“Much like the Capital Budget, the Operating Budget is focused on maintaining current service levels. Cost savings were achieved where possible and we are able to honour previous commitments focusing on community safety by maintaining the added member complement in the RCMP,” said Allan Seabrooke, City Manager. “Council provided direction to administration to find an additional reduction of $400,000, and we’ll take the next six weeks to comb through the budget to identify further cost savings while minimizing impacts on our citizens and staff.”
Administration will bring a report back to Council at the end of February outlining the additional cost savings, giving time for the Tax Rate Bylaw to be adopted in April. The municipal tax rate will then be combined with the provincial education tax requisition and the requisition for the Piper Creek Foundation to determine how much property tax residents will pay.
For a home valued at $325,000, a homeowner will pay $2,338.09 in the municipal portion of their taxes based on a 0.97 per cent increase. This works out to an increase of $22.46 per year or $1.87 per month.
Residents can find out more about the 2020 Operating Budget by visiting The City’s website atwww.reddeer.ca/budget.City
City to host Kinex Arena farewell event
The Kinex Arena was originally built in 1967 and has provided over 5 decades of fun, sport and recreation. As a farewell, The City is hosting a free public drop-in event.
Free Kinex Arena Farwell Event
Saturday, April 1
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
4725 A – 43 Street
Behind the Servus Arena (map)
Join us for our free skating times with themed music:
- 10 – 11 a.m. – preschool/family skate with preschool songs
- 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – 60’s & 70’s public skate
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. – 80’s & 90’s public skate
- 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. – 00’s & 10’s public skate
Pre-registration is not required, drop-in when your schedule allows!
Skate with us through the ages as we host themed drop-in skating times with refreshments in the upper mezzanine. The refreshments are free and so are the memories! Walk back in time while reminiscing with historic pictures of the Kinex Arena over the last 55+ years.
Kinex Farewell Event FAQs
Kinex Arena Decommission FAQs
City of Red Deer
City of Red Deer puts out call to private owners interested in selling or leasing property for integrated homeless shelter
Call for privately owned properties for consideration during shelter site selection process
Administration will assess the privately-owned properties submitted, sites that are currently on the market, and municipally or provincially owned properties using Council’s criteria:
- Ability to acquire site: Acquiring the optimum site can be done in a timely manner. Acquisition options and costs are important considerations.
- Adequate size: The size of the site considers the potential need to adjust service delivery at any given time. It will accommodate proposed integrated amenities and services. It considers the land size needed to accommodate outdoor gathering spaces and activities. The site already has a building or can accommodate a building that meets the Province’s minimum requirement of 10,000 square feet.
- Broad community impact: The site aligns with The City’s vision for the community. Community impact includes considerations such as, impacts on economic and business development, and municipal operations. It includes potential reputational impacts and financial impacts (both capital and operating). It also includes impacts to those accessing shelter services in our community. The site considers impacts to our community as a whole, including health, and safety for all in our valued places and spaces that are enjoyed by our citizens.
- Impacts to surrounding area: Impacts to businesses, residences, parks, trails, and schools are a priority consideration in selecting site. The city’s reputation is considered. A preferred site can accommodate and foster development of a safe, secure shelter.
- Access to services & supports: Safety and basic needs for all is a priority. Regularly utilized services and supports that would not be co-located are taken into consideration. Sites where co-located services can operationalize are preferred.
Once the technical assessments are complete, administration will present options to Council for consideration to recommend to the province.
If you are a property owner and would like to submit a site for consideration, please fill out and submit the online form here.
For information on the future shelter site selection process, please visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter.
Background
Back on February 3, City Council provided a “community update” on the status of 2 properties which were thoroughly vetted but failed in the end to get the go ahead. Here is video from that announcement and the following q and a with media.
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