No new programs and reduced capital spending ensures no increase in the municipal portion of the property tax rate in Yellowhead County.

On December 8, 2020, Council approved the 2021 interim budget for Yellowhead County. The interim budget was developed with a very conservative approach to keep operational and capital costs as low as possible. These measures are to ensure there is no increase to the municipal portion of the property tax rate while still providing services to county residents.

Capital projects, which typically form a large part of the county budget, have been kept to a minimum and reduced significantly when compared to previous years.

“We plan on operating on a reduced operational and capital budget for 2021 to reflect the current economy in our municipality and province. With the foresight of current and past councils, we have already done considerable planning and building of vital infrastructure that will keep our county moving forward into 2021 and beyond,” says Yellowhead County Mayor Jim Eglinski. “We’re confident in the current situation of our municipal infrastructure and of our county at this time.”

In addition to these cost-saving measures, other strategies have been included in the 2021 interim budget. These include no new increases to municipal fees and no cost-of-living increase for staff in 2021.

2021 Interim Budget $113,399,624
This consists of:
Operations $43,724,355
Capital projects $12,100,061
Contribution to reserves $8,064,115
Contributions to local government $4,663,741
Requisitions (School and Seniors) $28,577,969
Amortization $16,269,383

Highlights of the budget include:

Communication Tower in Robb $1,600,000
Fire Training Facility $150,000
Sand/Salt Storage Facilities $1,200,000
Reno Road Overlay $1,700,000
Yellowhead Edson Multiplex $4,385,061

Out of the $12,100,061 funding for capital projects, over half ($6,780,912) will come from grants to help fund various projects for Protective Services, Infrastructure Services, and Community Services.
Because this budget will have a reduction of new capital projects, it better reflects the current economic situation affecting local industry, businesses, farms and Yellowhead County households.

For more details on the 2021 Budget please visit www.yhcounty.ca/budget