Skip to content

B’ford council to discuss infrastructure levies

Battleford taxpayers could see an infrastructure levyies if town council approves them at a future council meeting.
Town Hall

Battleford taxpayers could see an infrastructure levyies if town council approves them at a future council meeting.

The possibility of infrastructure levies came up at town council during the presentation of a report by Saskatoon engineering firm Catterall & Wright Consulting Engineers.

Catterall & Wright’s report listed three different levels of service for various infrastructure categories: ideal, acceptable and unsatisfactory.

“It is ideal for a municipality to strive for providing the desired level of service that is aligned with what the ratepayers are interested in investing,” the report stated.

“Ideal” would involve no interruptions to water service, no boil water advisories, and all paved roads.

“Acceptable” would involve interruptions to water service and boil water advisories at most once per year, and both paved and unpaved, but drivable, roads.

Two questions resulting from the report before council, which council will answer at a later date are: what level of service council wants for the town’s infrastructure, and how does council want to invest in infrastructure?

In the past, Battleford has used the local improvement program to fund certain projects. Such projects are funded by taxpayers in the projects’ vicinity who are deemed to benefit from the project.

But some local improvements program projects can be rejected with enough public support.

Such a situation took place in Battleford in 2013, in which Riverbend residents opposed street work. Some planned projects in the area went ahead, while others didn’t.

According to a report by Battleford Chief Administrative Officer John Enns-Wind, levies are an alternative to the local improvement program. A municipal works program could be funded through a levy applied to all residents for maintenance and replacement of existing infrastructure.

The levy program, according to Enns-Wind’s report, “ensures there is sustainable and predictable funding” for infrastructure.

North Battleford adopted an infrastructure levy program, UPAR, in its 2014 budget. While UPAR has been controversial, it has funded various projects, including underground infrastructure and new paving on 100th and 101st Streets.

Catterall & Wright rated Battleford’s storm water system as “poor.” Catch basins and sanitary sewers in some parts of town were installed in the late sixties and early seventies.

Meanwhile, Catterall & Wright rated much of Battleford’s potable water system as “very good,” and its roadways and curbs as “fair.”

In other news from the report Catteral & Wright’s report, buildings that received “good” evaluations were Fred Light Museum, the Old Land Registry Building, and the library. The Old St. Vital Church, meanwhile, was rated “poor” to “very poor.”

Administration requested a decision regarding infrastructure level of service and how infrastructure and repair are to be funded no later than Aug. 19.

The next town council meeting is July 15, and the August council meeting is the next meeting after that.