Chestermere City Council passed a 1.1% tax cut at the Dec. 1 Regular Meeting of Council.
“We were proud to have brought in a two per cent tax cut in 2019 and are thrilled we could bring another two per cent tax cut for 2020,” said Mayor Marshall Chalmers.
Adding, “In Alberta, we are all trying to find the best path forward in these challenging economic times. We know our residents need relief and we are committed to doing our part to find made-in-Chestermere solutions.”
The second year of tax cuts was made possible by breaking down internal silos within the organization, ensuring that growth projections matched the economic environment, and reviewing all proposed projects, positions and programs to find efficiencies.
“Our community’s vision is to be amazing. That includes being amazing at finding efficiencies and being amazing at reducing spending when necessary. We believe that the 2020 budget we passed tonight will help us achieve our goals as we continue to listen to our residents’ needs,” Chalmers said.
Despite the tax cut, the City of Chestermere is continuing to pursue projects such as the 2020 portion of the Township Road 240 upgrade (east to west from Rainbow Road to Range Road 284), resurfacing Rainbow Road from the Western Irrigation District (WID) canal south to Township Road 240, adding new pathways, skate park upgrade, upgrading the city’s signage including digital speed reduction signs, and internal upgrades such as improving IT security and replacing aging vehicles and equipment.
No capital projects will be funded by property taxes.
In 2018, council also reduced a planned two per cent increase down to less than one per cent.
“As an organization, we aren’t going to be satisfied with the status quo,” the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Bernie Morton said.
“In everything we do, we want to be better than we were. To achieve that, we need to think creatively and strategically. The 2020 budget is just one example of how we are doing that and striving to be the most amazing community in Canada,” he said.
For more information please visit the City of Chestermere website at, https://www.chestermere.ca/930/Budget.
