There is no question that fraud has come to dominate the headlines in Drumheller and beyond.
    To shine a light on the problem, the Drumheller RCMP is hosting a fraud awareness session to help residents learn more about the serious issue of fraud and how residents can protect themselves from being taken advantage of.
    Constable Mike Maxwell will be at the Badlands Community Facility this Thursday to host the session. It is open to all ages.
    “The Competition Bureau of Canada has published a correspondence called the ‘Little Black Book of Scams,’” said Maxwell.
    He will be using this as a base to unveil some common scams that are happening throughout Canada and highlight some of the common ones police are seeing in Drumheller.

    “We want to try to show people what to look out for and try to protect themselves,” said Maxwell.
    Maxwell said in his career he has seen a rise in fraud.
    “It is not just cyber (fraud), there are phone scams and cell phone scams. There are things coming in your mail, people knocking on your door to tell you they want to put a new roof on your house, then they walk away with the money and never fix your roof,” said Maxwell.
    “There are all kinds of scams coming at you from every angle and that is why people need to learn how to protect themselves.”
    The session is this Thursday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Badlands Community Facility. The session is open to the public and there is no cost to attend.

Mayor Terry Yemen, left, and Chief Administrative Officer Ray Romanetz at Drumheller Town Council Monday, March 10, 2014.  Council approved the 2014 Capital and Operating Budgets which included a two per cent tax increase, no service cuts and the water slide replacement at the Aquaplex.

    Drumheller Town Council approved the town’s operating and capital budgets at the Monday, March 10, 2014 Council meeting.
    The town states the Operating Budget includes a two per cent general tax revenue increase, 2014 revenues of $16,294,598 and estimates the surplus at $61,130.
    The Corporate Services Request for Decision memo states “The revised 2014 Operating Budget sets the operational priorities of Council for 2014. The budget sets the estimated costs of the priorities and service levels identified by Council.”
    “Council, with the co-operation of administration, was able to reduce taxes to a two per cent increase, with no service cuts whatsoever,” said Mayor Terry Yemen.
    The Mayor notes the previously approved three-year budget would have seen a three per cent tax increase for this year.
    He thinks they were able to reduce taxes because the council got into deeper and more forensic discussions for the 2014 budget.
    The Mayor gives credit to Councillor Jay Garbutt for doing an extensive review and bringing a number of items forward for Council’s discussion.
    “The operating budget was a real focus for me this year because it appeared as though there was a lot of opportunity to trim and shave without service cuts,” said Councillor Garbutt.
    The Councillor said he’s grateful there was an opportunity to delve deep into the operating budget, hoping that it “sets the stage for future years that any tax increases will be hard fought.”
    “Every Councillor is responsible to the ratepayer to make sure every dollar is effectively and efficiently spent. My background is an asset, but we share that burden as a team,” he adds.
    Garbutt said there’s a lot of credit owed to administration. He said the town is saving thousands of dollars, organization wide, over previous years with the new power and natural gas contracts.
    Council also passed the Capital Budget with a value of $6,496,968.
    Councillor Garbutt said the 2014 Capital Budget is a fairly standard year for infrastructure improvements and fleet improvements. He said it’s important to note the capital budget doesn’t reduce the town’s financial reserves, “which is crucial for the long term sustainability of our capital financing strategy.”
    Garbutt said the big capital item he thinks people will be pleased to see move ahead is the waterslide replacement at the Aquaplex. He notes other work may be able to be included with the replacement.
    “We’re going to continue to investigate the affordability of additional Aquaplex improvements as well.”
    Mayor Terry Yemen‘s thought: “I hope that they (residents) see that Council is working to make Drumheller a better place to live, work and raise a family."