No changes in M.D.’s fees and charges bylaw

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Vauxhall Advance

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

During a recent meeting, Administration brought a Request for Decision to Council regarding Bylaw No. 2012 – 2025 Fees and Charges Bylaw.

“The Fees and Rates bylaw comes to Council this time of year annually,” said Arlos Crofts, Chief Administrative Officer for the M.D. of Taber. “This is something we look at in part due to our budget process.”

Crofts explained that Bylaw No. 2012 was being brought forward for consideration for one reading at minimum, and that provides Council with opportunity to make changes if they feel it necessary, and then present the amended bylaw for future readings at a future Council.

Mike Passey, Director of Corporate Services, then spoke about the bylaw itself, stating that according to the Request for Decision, Bylaw No. 2012 – 2025 Fees and Charges Bylaw includes all fees, license, and permit amounts as proposed in the 2025 operating budget. 

No changes are proposed for 2025, Passey stated, but some clerical and clarifying updates have been made including amending Road Use Agreement description to read Detour/Haul Route Road Use Agreement to further differentiate it from Temporary Access (Road Use) requests, amending Proximity Consents description to read Access & Proximity Consents as to cover both Temporary Workspace and Temporary Access (Road Use) requests, and taxable changes made to tax status of various charges to align with various CRA guidelines. 

For the past several years, Passey stated, a 5 percent increase has been added to the utility rates to transition to a cost recovery, user-pay model. Based on the 2024 utility rates and the 2024 budget, Passey stated, Administration is expecting the water utility revenues actuals to exceed the budgeted revenues, and with this is mind, no changes are proposed to the utility rates at this time.

Passey also stated that budgeted revenues for 2025 will be in line with historical/expected actuals. A detailed rate review will also need to be completed to evaluate the current rates and to guide the setting of rates into the future that appropriately consider current operating costs and necessary capital renewal/investment, Passey concluded.

Ultimately, a motion was made that first reading be given to Bylaw Number 2012 – 2025 Fees and Charges Bylaw and the motion was carried.