The final Town of Battleford council meeting for the 2020/24 term took place on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

TOWN WRAP

Battleford wraps Q3 with $7.6M surge, sets stage for new council

Nov 5, 2024 | 4:00 PM

The town of Battleford saw $7.6 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2024, ending the four-year council term on a good note.

In a recent council meeting, Finance Manager Tetiana Polishchuk updated the latest Year-To-Date (YTD) financial report ending Sept. 30.

According to Polishchuk, the revenue is 79 per cent of the town’s forecast. She noted $4.6 million was spent, 67 per cent of what they expected.

“It’s only showing 67 per cent of our expenses, but we do know that we’re going into that expensive time of year; three or four big blizzards can chew up a budget pretty quickly. We’ve seen other municipalities fall victim to that. So, it definitely would be something we will have to focus on to make sure that we keep an eye on the expenses,” Mayor Ames Leslie commented.

Polishchuk noted that there are currently no significant changes on the revenue side, and the overall operating revenue is on target.

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When reflecting on expenses, she noted minimal differences compared to 2020 in relation to the town’s three-year planning and development services. This year, costs dipped to $28,748 due to the departure of the original planner; however, she anticipates that expenses will be back on track following a recent contract with Northbound Planning Company.

Regarding funding for general projects, approximately 43 per cent of the cumulative budget of $2.58 million has been spent. This funding supports 24 ongoing or completed projects, 11 of which have been fully finished, including the pavement overlay stretching from 29th Street West to Fifth Avenue, upgrades to the Flat Ball Diamond, and replacement of sprinkler system pipes.

“The majority of projects are completed, and the operating budget surplus remains on target. Overall, 2024 capital spending remains on target,” Polishchuk noted.

As the third quarter of the financial report rolled in, it also marked the final meeting for the six councillors. Reflecting on the past four years, they all agreed the town progressed along the right path.

“The biggest thing we could always do is to be fair with our community and make sure that people are getting their bang for their buck, and I believe we have done that,” Coun. David George said.

Looking ahead to the next term, Leslie wants to see how the new councils can adapt to the changing economic landscape as the province emerges from high interest rates. He believes there are opportunities for growth and development in this transition.

“We are the third largest town in the province, with the third lowest taxation rate. We need to become better at making the world know that, making Western Canada know that, and to draw people to come here, both from residents and from a commercial and industrial sector,” Leslie stated.

He also plans to enhance the town’s historic value and reinvent Battleford as the ‘historic town of Battleford’ to foster greater local tourism growth.

“We have all these unique historical infrastructures in our community that I think we can do a better job of promoting and convincing people to visit our community whether they come here for the Table Mountain and then we have them come and see these other amenities,” Leslie explained.

The new council for 2024/28 will be elected on Nov. 13 at Alex Dillabough Center. Nine candidates will fight for the six council seats, including Mark Coleman, Clayton Lazar, Doug Laing, Shelley Boutin-Gervais, Randall Cote, Josh Pernala, Kevin Russell, Judy Pruden and David George.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com