Grande Prairie is the Regional Centre for 250,000 people who spend over One Billion Dollars each year in our stores, car dealerships, and other retail outlets.
These figures prove what we all know. Grande Prairie is in a multi-year growth phase that shows no signs of slowing down. This is not a short-term phenomenon. Grande Prairie has evolved to – more... the next stage in our development as a City. We are not going to go backwards.
We have talked about Council driven initiatives and the benefits of growth. But growth comes with its costs. What impact have these had on our City budget and taxes?
In 2003, we will spend $54.3 Million on operations and $25.2 Million on capital projects. Property taxes will rise 5.7 percent. Part of this increase is due to a 300 percent increase in our road rehabilitation budget from 2001 levels. This elevated road budget will continue for at least five more years. Our debt will be $25.4 Million, which is one third of the provincial maximum debt limit of $75 Million.
In 2004, the tax increase will shrink to 3.9 percent, very close to the anticipated rate of inflation. The 2004 operating budget is $57.4 Million and the capital budget is $28 Million. Our debt will be nearly $30 Million.
Over these two years we will convert 24 temporary staff positions to permanent and add 21 new staff positions.
What is driving our budgets?
We continue to invest in technology and our facilities. Our commitment to remaining a safe community requires us to build a $7.4 Million new enforcement services building for our RCMP and Bylaw departments and to increase the number of officers. We are making a major multi-year investment in paving, both in the Industrial Park and on arterial and collector roadways. Driven by our high standards and provincial regulation upgrades, we will make a significant contribution to our environmental health in water, sewer and solid waste treatment. We are improving our support of our community groups. The addition of the Twin Ice Arenas and the conversion of the Johnny Mac arena into a soccer facility will happen in 2003. There is a large increase in program support and maintenance funding for buildings, roads, and capital assets. We will move City Hall into a technologically advanced and user friendly facility.
Council's job for the next two years is to meet the needs of our growing City. Our goal is to provide quality services for the best possible price. We want your City to reach its full potential.
We are focussed on achieving our vision and our strategic plan. Our administration and staff are excellent and well positioned for the successful implementation of our strategies. We thank them for their support over these past 15 months.
We welcome your input and comments at any time. This Council is receptive to new ideas and we welcome change.
At the outset, I said that this speech would be about what we have accomplished. Council, administration, and staff have had a very busy year. We have checked many items off our "to do" list. We are proud of what we have done.
But we are not going to stop. Important challenges still remain. Reorganizing how Council conducts our business and growth driven issues like transportation funding shortfalls and funding a new swimming pool are some of the issues that have to be faced.
Thank you for listening to me today. – less – More from ZoomInfo »
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