Special Town of Raymond council meeting from May 21

Posted on June 6, 2024 by admin

By Heather Cameron
Westwind Weekly News

The Town of Raymond Town Council held a special meeting on May 21, at which time they approached giving Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw second and third reading.

“Audit and Finance worked hard with Administration to review this year’s budget,” said Kurtis Pratt, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Raymond. “Council gave us pretty specific direction that they were hoping to reduce the tax burden as much as possible on residents and so we took that as the underlying theme that we used when we crunched the numbers, and we were able to come back with a proposed five percent reduction to residential and non-residential assessments which will reduce the mill rate from 8.4 per cent down to 7.9 per cent.”

The difference, Pratt said, is that most residents will most likely still see an increase in what they pay this year and that is because the cost of housing is going up due to lack of demand and inflation. Another reason for the increase, Pratt explained, is there was an increase in the amount they collect from the province on behalf of Alberta Education: last year they collected just under $998,000 and this year, they collected just under $1.2 million. RCMP costs that the Town pays, Pratt says, to help cover their portion of the RCMP bill have also gone up an additional $50,000, and other expenses have also contributed to the increase.

Pratt then explained that Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw also involved the preparation and adoption detailed estimates of the municipal revenues and expenditures as required for 2024 at the council meeting held on May 7, along with estimated municipal expenditures and transfers set out in budget for the Town of Raymond for 2024 totaling $16,959,905. They also stated that the estimated municipal revenues and transfers from all sources other than taxation is estimated at $13,244,281 and the balance of $3,715,624 to be raised by general municipal taxation.

The requisitions, Pratt stated, are as follows:

Alberta School Foundation Fund (ASFF) 

Residential/Farmland: $ 982,980

Opted Out School Boards Residential/Farmland: $9,916

Total Residential/Farmland: $992,896

Alberta School Foundation Fund (ASFF)

Non-residential: $107,099

Opted Out School Boards

Non-residential: $896

Total Non-residential: $107,995

Senior Foundation: $115,310

Designated Industrial Property: $403

Pratt also established that Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 states that the Town is required yearly to levy on the assessed value of all property, tax rates sufficient to meet the estimated expenditures and requisitions; and is authorized to classify assessed property, and to establish different tax rates in respect to each class of property, subject to the Municipal Government Act, Chapter M-26, Revised Statutes of Alberta, 2000.

With that said, the assessed value of all property in the Town of Raymond as shown on the assessment roll is as follows according to Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024:

Residential & Farmland: $418,801,800

Non-residential: $24,044,680

Linear: $5,192,880

Designated Industrial Property: $9,750

Machinery & Equipment: $69,990

Total: $448,119,100

According to the Municipal Government Act, Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 states, the Chief Administrative Officer, is authorized to levy the following tax rates on the assessed value of property as shown on the assessment roll of the Town of Raymond.

General Municipal

Residential and Farmland

Tax Levy: $3,348,785

Assessment: 418,801,800

Tax Rate: 7.99611

Non-Residential

Tax Levy: $365,963

Assessment: 29,247,310

Tax Rate: 12.51269

Machinery and Equipment

Tax Levy: $876

Assessment: 69,990

Tax Rate: 12.51269

Municipal Totals

Tax Levy: $3,715,624

Assessment: 448,119,100

Alberta School Foundation Fund and Opted Out School Boards

Residential and Farmland

Tax Levy: $992,896

Assessment: 418,801,800

Tax Rate: 2.3708

Non-Residential

Tax Levy: $107,995

Assessment: 29,247,310

Tax Rate: 3.6925

ASFF Totals

Tax Levy: $1,100,891

Assessment: 448,158,340

Senior Foundation

Tax Levy: $115,310

Assessment: 448,119,100

Tax Rate: 0.25732

Designated Industrial Property

Tax Levy: $403

Assessment: 5,272,620

Tax Rate: 0.07650

Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024, Pratt stated, also states that the minimum amount payable for improved properties as property tax for general municipal purposes shall be $ 1,150, the minimum amount payable for vacant properties for general municipal purposes shall be $1,150, and the minimum amount payable for units within a Designated Manufactured Home Community as property tax for general municipal purposes shall be $700.

Finally, Bylaw No. 1136-24 states that If, as of closing time of the Town Office on July 15, 2024, any taxes which remain unpaid shall receive a 12 per cent penalty on July 16, 2024, and a 1.5 per cent penalty will be imposed on the unpaid balance on the first day of each month thereafter starting August 1, 2024.

Pratt also established that first reading of Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw took place on May 7, 2024.

“We’ve done our best to be as lean as we can internally so we’re being efficient with those tax dollars and I give credit to Audit and Finance and all of Council for sticking hard on their mandate to be as transparent on the budget and be responsible on the budget and I think you guys have held true to that to this day,” said Pratt.

With that said, Pratt said Administration recommended second and third reading of Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw. Mayor Jim Depew then mentioned an amendment and Pratt reiterated that during Committee, Council discussed the desire to raise the minimum tax on residential properties from $1,150 to $1,200 and the rationale for that decision is because costs and assessments are increasing for everybody, if that isn’t translated down, a segment of the community wouldn’t pay anything different even though costs have gone up. Pratt explained that they’re looking to have a marginal increase that isn’t necessarily comparative to properties that are assessed higher, but still share the tax burden increase among all residents instead of just under a segment.

Councilor Bryce Coppieters made a motion to give second reading to Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw with the amendment and the motion was carried. Councilor Matt Evans then made a motion to give third reading to Bylaw No. 1136-24 2024 Tax Rate Bylaw with the amendment and the motion was carried.