Suzanne Oel – Division 4
Greetings! Sharing my News Update…
Priddis Bridge Update: After another accident in April at Highway 22 and Priddis Valley Road, I reached out to MLA Rosin to share our concerns and request an update on the status of the Priddis Bridge improvement project. As noted last year, the project has made it to the approved and funded Provincial capital projects list. MLA Rosin, along with Alberta Transportation, provided the following statements as of May 2022 (Thank you): The project includes the replacement of the Highway 22 bridge over Fish Creek that is part of the intersection and also has climbing lanes included. This project was included in the Budget 2021 Construction Program and still remains in the current Construction Program for Design. Alberta Transportation is currently undertaking engineering work, however there are several outstanding items that require finalization. These include regulatory approvals, utilities, consultation with Indigenous communities, and Right-of- Way acquisition. At this time, a planned construction date has not been finalized.
FireSmart Recognized Neighbourhoods: During our work with some of our northwest communities to bring FireSmart initiatives into effect this year, we heard about an interesting development within the insurance industry from an Alberta Government FireSmart representative. There is currently at least one insurer that is considering an insurance discount to residences that are part of a FireSmart Recognized Neighbourhood. Apparently, this insurer and potentially others, may consider a 20% savings on insurance. It is a lot of work to get this designation, with the obvious benefit of reducing damage to the community and individual homes should a fire event occur. The insurance savings would be a bonus. FireSmartCanada.ca has information about the Neighbourhood Recognition Program. Our local Alberta representative can be found there or also on the FireSmartAlberta.ca website. If your neighbourhood is interested to hear more or discuss, please contact me as well… I’ll also share more news on this topic again soon.
Assessment and Taxes 2022: On May 4, 2022, Council approved amendments to our 2022 Budget, as presented by our Admin Team, headed by our Director of Corporate Services, Christine Hummel. In a balancing of numbers, due to property assessments going up by 5.24%, Mill rates went down as a multiplier to end up with the amount of tax revenue required to pay the County expenses this year, with the expenses coming in at approximately $81.4M. Non- Tax income will add up to approximately $20M and the balance of $61.4M will be distributed over the property tax rolls to bring in the required tax income. This year we will see a tax increase of about 3% to most ratepayers’ tax bills. No increase was made over the period of a couple of years prior, but this year we are seeing a need to cover costs coming at us from all directions, such as increases in fuel, oil and school tax. Just a reminder that $22.66M of the property taxes to be collected this year is the amount that we must pay for Provincial Requisitions, including School Tax, the RCMP Surcharge, Seniors Housing, etc. Foothills fairs very well in over-all taxation and municipal performance in comparison to other municipalities. An explanation letter with more details will accompany your 2022 Tax Notice.
Community Activity Nice to See: May was the month of many community AGMs and meetings. It was such a pleasure to be present and enjoy the company of residents while they attended to their Community Association business in person. It is encouraging to see the work being done and events being planned, which makes our area a great place to live. Events this summer range from Stampede Breakfasts to July 1 Celebrations to Summer Camps for kids to sports and social gatherings. Check out all of our great Community Associations for more news. As we take part in these summer activities being held at our local parks, community grounds and sports fields, many volunteers and County Staff will be contributing their time and efforts behind the scenes to care for these places for us all to enjoy. Thank you to all!
Volunteers Needed: Across the board as many community organizations are reinitiating after some downtime, there is a need for volunteers to assist. Please consider joining with the teams in our community to make a difference and to add your valuable perspective and help. Our volunteer fire department, all our community associations and our local crime watch could use a helping hand.
For Other News & Updates:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CouncillorSuzanneOel/
Email: Suzanne.Oel@FoothillsCountyAB.ca
With Best Regards, Suzanne
