Finance Minister Doug Horner says he’s hit the reset button on Alberta’s finances in a 2013-14 provincial budget that shakes up past practices of the Progressive Conservative government.
Thursday’s budget release sees the province borrowing $4.3 billion to pay for capital projects this year, a seeming sea change for a Tory government that once boasted “paid in full” when the provincial debt was eliminated under former premier Ralph Klein in 2004.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/b45gf8c
Grande Prairie’s new high school and hospital escaped unharmed, as the 2013-14 provincial budget was released Thursday.
Budget documents revealed the province will continue financial support of the $656 million Grande Prairie Regional Hospital over the next three years and it will maintain its support of Grande Prairie’s new public high school.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/a5h7zlp
EDMONTON – Public school students in Fort McMurray could move to a four-day school week as part of a controversial proposal to save money.
A projected $4.4 million operating deficit has prompted the Fort McMurray public school district to consider a compressed school week that could save up to $1 million, says the district superintendent. The district has already taken other steps to reduce the projected deficit by $1 million, including by reducing travel and not filling vacant job positions, Dennis Parsons said Wednesday.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ayljage
The city is looking at a potential surplus of almost $700,000 for the 2012 fiscal year, according to preliminary financial numbers presented to the standing committee on finance.
The surplus as of Monday looks to be $698,466, or 0.54 per cent of the 2012 budget, which totalled approximately $129 million.
“It’s on the right side of the ledger and it’s very close in a ($129 million) budget, so good for you,” Mayor Nolan Crouse applauded staff after its presentation.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/9wzza9r
The latest federal budget deficit numbers suggest the shortfall is shrinking faster than even the government expected, and prompting speculation Ottawa could be out of the red a year ahead of schedule.
The Finance department said Friday November’s federal budget deficit was $1.9 billion, a slightly bigger shortfall than the $1.6 billion recorded in the same month of 2011.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/aek9b74
Black Diamond’s water treatment plant and an outdoor recreation facility are among the major items soon to be discussed in the Town’s 2013 budget meetings.
Mayor Sharlene Brown said she expects budget discussions to be underway and a wish list established for major projects in town either later this month or early February, adding council is right on schedule with its 2013 budget.
“Everything is going absolutely fabulous for Black Diamond right now and we are right on track,” she said. “For the budget numbers we will probably be looking at late January, early February and then it will take a few meetings to get through it.”
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/anf2p2u
Sylvan Lake residents are apparently satisfied with the town’s spending plans that call for a 2.4 per cent municipal tax rate increase this year.
Town council unanimously passed the $28.4 million operating and $11.6 million capital budgets on Monday night, after delaying the vote for a month to give residents an opportunity to comment.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ad7vgy5
A reduction in Red Deer’s proposed property tax increase to 3.91 per cent from 4.15 per cent opened the first day of the city’s operating budget talks on Monday.
City chief financial officer Dean Krejci said staff under-estimated the revenue from construction growth, which in turn lowered the projected property tax increase.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/a8m2slo
Fort Saskatchewan city council unanimously passed a final approval of the 2013 budget at the Dec. 11 meeting, accounting for more than $77.8 million.
The budget recommendation put forward to council by city administration for 2013 includes an operating budget of $41.1 million, a capital budget of $25.9 million, a utility budget of $11.5 million and a budget for the Fort Saskatchewan Public Library of $973,150.
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/d78jnn6
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s city council unanimously approved a $1-billion budget — the largest in the municipality’s history — Tuesday evening.
The 2013 budget breaks down into $629 million (58%) for capital spending, and $456 million for an operating budget.
“We’re still in, very much, a growth mode,” said the municipality’s chief financial officer Elsie Hutton. “We’ve been close to having a billion-dollar budget in the past, we’re at well over 900 million, so this is not typically new to us, it just means we proactively manage.”
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/akjmd54