A year of aggressive reduction and straining in costs on the operating side of business has resulted in a significant financial strengthening for the Town of Crossfield in 2015, according to Chief Administrative Officer Ken Bosman. The results were attained following a preliminary audit.
After costs of running the Town were paid, Bosman said the municipality had $819,000 left over that could be used in capital expenditures. Compared to the $325,000 left over in 2014, he said the Town strengthened itself by about $500,000.
Bosman said the Town’s budget philosophy is to be financially independent. He said it would be irresponsible to assume grants from the provincial and federal governments would continue to flow indefinitely.
“If we aggressively put our own financial house in order, that will never be a bad thing,” he said. “If we get more grants, we get more grants plus all the savings we’re able to find.”
With the extra flow potentially diverted to capital expenditure, Bosman said the municipality is ensuring it can fund capital projects like building a new library, expanding the fire hall, constructing a new outdoor skating rink, repairing sidewalks and paving pathways, regardless of grants.
“Those are the things that improve the quality of the life of our citizens,” Bosman said. “We don’t want to be in a situation where if the grants dry up from the Province or the feds that we’re sitting there with nothing.”
Bosman said if Crossfield continues down the path it is on now, it could reach its goal to be financially independent from grants and external entities by 2017.
“We wouldn’t have a lot left over, but at least we’d be viable,” Bosman said. “I feel that’s a prudent place to be, given the economy in Alberta today.”
Black bin pick up
A renegotiated contract with current recycling and garbage pickup provider RMW Consulting Inc. not only creates a savings of $80,000 a year for the municipality, but also adds black bin pickup for residents, according to Bosman.
Bosman said the savings for 2016 – which are actually only $60,000 – are essentially a “wash,” as the money will be used to buy the bins. Savings in subsequent years would reflect on taxes, he added.
“We’ve seen some healthy cost reduction there and that’s obviously a good thing,” he said. “The more money we save, the less we have to raise taxes.”
Bosman said it is expected the black bins would arrive by early May.
Rolling a bin to the curb instead of hauling bags is not only an improvement of convenience for residents, but also a cosmetic upgrade for the community, according to Bosman.
“It’s actually a cleaner way to do it,” he said.
New Town sign
Council discussed designs for a new Town sign that might represent Crossfield better than the current one.
Mayor Nathan Anderson said his only concern with the designs presented to council was whether they were big enough, noting the current sign definitely is not.
“That sign is too small,” Anderson said. “We don’t want to make the mistake we made last time.”
Council was not entirely happy with any one design presented to them, but rather a combination of elements. Bosman said the redesigned sign with exact size specifications would be brought back to council during the April 19 meeting.
Bosman added the approved design would most likely be put on the Town’s website and included in the newsletter sent with the utility bill to get public feedback.
