The Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth has planned for a $10.5 million budget.

The RM of Wallace-Woodworth financial plan was presented at a public hearing on the evening of April 25. The entire council along with several members of the public attended to hear Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Garth Mitchell’s presentation.

The financial planning process begins with budget meetings where council and administrative staff review the previous year’s revenue, expenditures and capital costs. This information allows them to identify areas of economic strength as well as areas that need to be adapted to changing conditions.

This year, inflation was a significant factor that increased costs at a time when residents are facing their own financial pressures. To complicate matters, this is the first reassessment since 2020. Property values are usually reassessed every two years but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the province temporarily extended the current reassessment cycle by one year. More frequent reassessments help minimize any resulting property tax shifts. The challenge for council was to develop a plan that would maintain an acceptable level of service while minimizing the tax burden for ratepayers.

Meeting this challenge requires a healthy surplus to cushion the effect that sudden changes in assessment can bring to the tax rate. A surplus also ensures that the municipality will not incur financing costs for operating funds. In Wallace-Woodworth the source of this surplus is found in revenue above budget requirements, typically from oil revenue.

Reserve funds established through by-laws are available to for specific needs like machinery replacement, road and bridge upgrades and the municipal fire department. These reserves provide stability and predictability for needs beyond regular operating expenses. For example, the Road Upgrade reserve fund that was established in 2015 is maintained by 50 per cent of earnings from oil royalties and leases up to $750,000 annually.

The total revenue budgeted for 2023 is $10.5M, with 52 per cent coming from taxes and grants from the province in lieu of taxes on provincially owned properties. Another 26 per cent of total revenue will come from specific reserve funds and from the surplus.

In the financial plan this revenue is balanced with the day-to-day operating expenses including all the programs and services provided. Transportation services make up the largest portion of these expenses at 41 per cent. A further 17 per cent will be transferred to reserve funds. The total expenditure budgeted for 2023 is $10.5M.

Looking back five years, the mill rate in the municipality at large decreased from a high of 15.72 in 2017 to a low of 10.79 in 2021. Following a slight increase in tax year 2022 the rate for this year is set at 11.56 which will result in a tax increase for most properties. The size of the increase depends on the location of the property and its assessed value.

With the goal to deliver the best services possible with the resources available, and CAO Mitchell provided an update on the departments that deliver these services.

The utility department provides water and sewer services to the municipality. Funding for capital projects has been requested from the Manitoba Water Services Board. Over the next five years, these projects will include supply and equipment upgrades as well as new construction to expand service across the municipality.

Along with the regular maintenance and improvements of municipal roads, the transportation department is engaged in a large frost boil project. This will involve roads across the RM and will see the shoulders pulled back up to establish a crown to run water off the road.

The waste management department operates landfills at Hargrave, Kola and Kenton. The recycling program with Lorras Disposal has steadily increasing volumes.

The GIS department collects data on a broad range of municipal assets like culverts, utilities, surface water management and property ownership and connects them to a map. A new project involves mapping cemeteries in the area and linking them with data about the graves at each location.

The weed control department will hire a new supervisor this spring and will carry out a roadside spraying program on half the municipal roads this year.

To continue to support and grow these services provided, economic development is necessary, and the municipality provides some incentives. The Main Street Improvement grant provides assistance of 50 per cent of the cost to upgrade the exteriors of businesses to a maximum of $5000, and applications are ongoing. A tax credit program is also available for businesses that experience an assessment increase due to building construction or renovation. After taxes are paid and an application is submitted, a tax reimbursement will be issued.

Economic development steering committees have been formed in Elkhorn and Kenton with a committee in the process of formation in the community of Kola. These committees propose new community projects and initiatives, and work with the council to implement the recommendations of the Community Action Report.

Further information about this financial plan, as well as the departments and the services they provide, can be found at the RM website: wallace-woodworth.com.


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