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Editorial & Opinion

Editorial: Budget 2012 … or … Taxation without participation

With third reading of the 2012 Morinville budget now passed, individual councillors and the mayor must stand by the items they proposed to be reduced or cut along the road from wish list to final budget. Mayor Lloyd Bertschi and Councillor David Pattison took criticism from this publication a few weeks back for having espoused one view on the importance of economic development during the 2010 election campaign and yet voted to reduce spending on it at second reading… […]

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Local News

Sturgeon County approves 2012 budget

By Stephen Dafoe

Sturgeon County – County Council approved its 2012 operating and capital budget in a 4-3 vote Tuesday morning. The $58,068,712 budget represents a projected 6.85 per cent municipal property tax increase for County residents in 2012. It is anticipated that increase will translate to a $98 increase in the municipal tax portion of spring tax bills for the average Sturgeon County home valued at at $420,520… […]

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Local News

Sturgeon County Council whittles away at tax increase

By Stephen Dafoe

Sturgeon County – Council emerged from two days of budget discussions Tuesday afternoon having shaved another half a percent off the increase County residents are likely to pay in 2012. Council had been looking at a 7.42 per cent tax increase heading into the discussions, but managed to trim that down to a 6.85 per cent increase two days later… […]

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Local News

Sturgeon County Council debates 2012 budget

By Stephen Dafoe

Sturgeon County – County Council and Administration met Monday morning for the first of three days of budget discussion and debate that will ultimately result in a finalized 2012 budget that will determine the amount of taxes ratepayers pay next spring. In prefacing the budget discussions, Interim Chief Administrative Officer Peter Tarnawsky said the County has a revenue problem that will continue for the next few years… […]

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Editorial & Opinion

Editorial: Too much work or too many workers

The proposed 2012 Morinville Budget identifies $5.2 million in staff wages and another $1.3 million in contract services for a total of $6.5 million. If we break that down it represents $764.34 for each man, woman and child who currently live in Morinville. But not all residents are rate payers. According to Andy Isbister, Morinville’s chief financial officer, there are 3,100 residential and 133 commercial / industrial properties on the tax rolls. Breaking our $6.5 million down by tax payer, we see an average of $2,010.53 each just to finance wages and contract services for next year… […]

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Local News

Residents express concerns at 2012 budget open house

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – A number of Morinville residents braved the chill and poor road conditions Monday night to come out for the first of two community open houses on the 2012 Morinville budget. Although ratepayers have had the opportunity to attend budget open houses in previous years, council decided to make the open house an integral part of the budget process this year. In previous years when the budget came before council … […]