Magrath passes Tax Rate Bylaw

Jeremy Appel
Westwind Weekly News

Magrath town council passed all three readings of its updated Tax Rate Bylaw at its May 8 meeting.
According to information provided by administration, the town’s total expenditures and transfers in its budget total $6,290,988.
The town’s revenue from all resources other than taxation is estimated at $4,102,325, so it needs to raise $2,188,673 in taxes.
To raise these funds, the tax rate for residential and farm properties will be 7.575 per cent, while non-residential, as well as machinery and equipment, are set at 12.51 per cent each.
The town also must establish a rate of 2.4934 per cent on residential and farmland, as well as 3.65523 per cent on non-residential, to raise funds for the Alberta School Foundation, which is collected by municipalities on the province’s behalf.
An additional 0.020384 per cent tax is needed to fund the regional Chinook Foundation.
“It’s a pretty conservative budget, all things considered,” said CAO Wade Alston.
“We didn’t have to do it in three readings, but there was no objection. Council was all onside, so we went ahead and did all three readings.”

RCMP Sgt. McCoy presents to council

Raymond RCMP Sgt. Kelly McCoy was at council to solicit the town’s input on the detachment’s upcoming performance plan.
“I was there to talk to the Town of Magrath about our annual performance plan initiatives, what they were looking for to contribute to the plan,” said McCoy.
“We do it on a yearly basis and this plan is developed in consultation with all communities, councils (and) stakeholders in the detachment area that I police.”
He said he goes to each council in the detachment’s area to gather what they would like to see in the year’s plan.
“We put together a plan and find some goals and initiatives to it, in terms of how we’re going to carry out the plan in the following year,” McCoy said.
The plan is still in the works as the RCMP consults the affected municipalities.
“Once it is developed, I print it off and give a copy to each of the stakeholders, so they know what our plans are and what our goals and initiatives are going to be,” he said.
Not every stakeholder’s wish can be fulfilled, McCoy added.
“They don’t always get exactly what they want, because each community can want something different and it turns into too big of a plan … so we try to condense it down and satisfy them all,” he said.
McCoy estimates that this year’s plan should be in effect by mid-June.