R.M. of Buckland. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Budget talks

No tax increase for R.M. of Buckland

Jun 9, 2020 | 12:58 PM

Rate payers in the Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Buckland will have one less stress on their shoulders this year.

Local councillors concluded budget deliberations and despite an increase in expenses, and decrease in revenue, they were able to hold the line and not introduce a tax increase. Reeve Don Fyrk acknowledged the budget was pretty tight.

“The budget is so tight that if we were write a cheque, the pen is going to squeak,” he said.

Among the biggest expenses this year are salaries for foreman and staff ($555,000), bylaw enforcement, maintenance supplies, and waste collection ($46,000). On the revenue side, the portion of money the R.M. receives from revenue sharing increased from $462,603 to $530,950. Fyrk explained councillors did a lot of hacking and slashing, but wanted to tow the line.

“I know some people out there are really struggling so it’s our duty I think as an R.M. to try and help people out in tough times as best we can,” he said.

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Reeve Don Fyrk. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

One of the ways councillors were able to find extra money was from last year’s projected maintenance to-do list. Not all the projects were completed, leaving some leftover funds. Fyrk said in the past council has also donated money to local clubs in the area, which they were forced to cut this year.

“We had to slash it this year, otherwise we would have had to up the taxes and I’m like everyone else, I don’t like paying taxes,” he said.

Fyrk explained the uncompleted maintenance projects, which includes sand sealing in various divisions, will simply be pushed to next year.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell