Councils for Creighton, Flin Flon prepare for local budget releases next month

Local governments for Flin Flon and Creighton are gearing up to release their budgets next month.

During the Town of Creighton’s last council meeting April 13, senior administration and councillors confirmed that the Town’s latest budget will be released in May.

Details about the budget so far are slim, but the Town will expect to see changes in the amount it receives from the province through Saskatchewan’s municipal revenue sharing plan. In the province’s latest budget, which was released last month, the Saskatchewan government showed that there would likely be less money distributed to municipalities and northern communities this year than last through revenue sharing - a hot topic of discussion for council in recent years.

“There will be a bit of a decrease, but they haven't actually given us any figures yet,” said Paula Muench, chief administrative officer for the Town of Creighton.

“I think what our council will do is we're going to have a meeting and sit down to see if we have some more clarification on some numbers.”

One project that will be in discussion is work for the Creighton Sportex. The Town completed a feasibility study on the building earlier this year and has applied for grant funds through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the same grant used by the City of Flin Flon to receive millions of dollars toward a replacement for the Flin Flon Aqua Centre. The Town currently plans, according to its submitted five-year capital plan, to renovate the Sportex to the tune of around $3.2 million if it receives funding through ICIP.

Meanwhile in Flin Flon, the City’s annual budget is slated to be released next month - an official City budget presentation will take place May 3 at City Hall in council chambers, starting at 6 p.m. local time. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and copies are available to be viewed at City Hall before the official unveiling.

So far, the most prominent part of the City of Flin Flon budget is the proposed change to special service levies and mill rates. According to a proposal sent by the City to the province for final approval, the City is slated to shift how much tax revenue it takes in as a special service levy. That plan will mean more than doubling it for all Flin Flon property tax payers from $419.33 last year to $894.08 this year, while at the same time dropping municipal mill rates from 25.97 last year to 16.88 this year.

If adopted, the new budget would mean increased property taxes for homeowners whose properties are evaluated lower on tax assessments while dropping taxes for higher-valued properties. Municipal taxes (which do not include taxes levied for other purposes like education) for a property valued at $50,000, for instance, will increase by just over $270 this year if the plan is adopted as presented, while a property valued at $150,000 will include just under a $140 decrease in taxes. Property assessed at $250,000 will see an even bigger drop in payment, going from $3,340.96 last year to $2,793.08 this year - a decrease of nearly $550.

At last check, the special service levy was still awaiting approval from the provincial municipal relations minstry.