Starland County Council passed its 2022 operating and capital budgets, and residents can expect to see a slight increase.
The 2022 Operating and Capital budgets were approved in the amounts of $15,267,638 and $2,104,500 respectively.
A two per cent increase to the municipal tax rate for residential and farmland properties was also approved, as well as an increase to the non-residential tax split resulting in a 3.8 per cent increase in non-residential municipal tax rates.
In Starland County’s 2021-2031 Strategic Plan, council identified seven Priority Focus Areas, namely, economic growth, leadership, communication, community pride, service excellence, financial sustainability, and sustainable infrastructure.
In an effort to address these priority focus areas, a number of new initiatives have been funded in the 2022 Operating Budget. These include bringing on legal counsel to pursue the collection of outstanding taxes from delinquent oil and gas companies; the development and implementation of a Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) for the 2023 or 2024 tax year.
The County is also implementing a document management system and the digitization of its records, developing and implementing a long-term tax strategy.
They are also implementing a Community Appreciation Initiative focusing on fund-raising activities of local community groups and a Starland County Scholarship Program focusing on academic, agricultural, and trade education streams.
They are investing in their campgrounds, including new docks at both the Michichi Dam and McLaren Dam campgrounds, increased capacity at the McLaren Dam truck fill, installation of a columbarium at the Rumsey Cemetery, gravel crush at Starland County’s new Morton gravel pit and new Starland County signage at major access points to the County.
Approved capital projects for the 2022 season include four miles of surface treatment for Morrin North Access Range Road 20-3 and Morrin/839 Access Township Road 31-4, two bridge-sized culvert replacements, and the removal of a bridge culvert.
For more information on Starland County’s 2022 budget, please visit the Starland County website at www.starlandcounty.com.
