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County Council focuses on infrastructure, maintaining service levels in 2025 interim budget

County of Grande Prairie Council approved the interim 2025 budget with a $3.96 million deficit stemming from maintaining vital services and programs, including investments in roads, water and sewer infrastructure, and intermunicipal commitments around recreation and culture cost-sharing. On an ongoing basis, Administration identifies areas of savings and ways to offset inflationary pressures.

Council deferred any discussion around property taxes to final budget deliberations in April, pending outcomes of efforts to reduce the deficit, assessment values, currently unfunded items from interim budget, and the seniors’ foundation and education levies. All municipalities, including the County, must collect education levies to fund schools on behalf of the provincial government.

“Council’s goal is to ensure we can continue to provide the services our residents enjoy that contribute to their overall quality of life,” says Reeve Bob Marshall. “We have opted to move any discussion around property taxes to final budget, however a moderate tax increase should be expected. In past years when residents saw no increase in property taxes, Council was accessing reserves and withdrawing more from savings than we were able to replenish.

The $174.3 million budget includes an estimated $115.7 million for general operations and $58.6 million for capital investments.

"At this point, we still have time to make adjustments ahead of final budget deliberations in April,” adds Reeve Marshall. “For the past five years, our reserves have been used to fund annual deficits. If we continue this trend, our current revenues and future projections do not match the costs associated with supporting our service levels and programs. Additionally, funding transfers to our municipal neighbours for shared services have been increasing year over year.”

The well and pipeline tax holiday imposed by the province has been lifted, and new assessments added over the next three years will result in an estimated increase of approximately $500 million in assessment. However, any gains for the County will be offset by the $1.4 million loss in unpaid property taxes from the oil and gas industry. The permanently eliminated well drilling equipment tax translates into a loss of more than $10 million in revenue for the County over the past four years.

Highlights of some of the services, programs and projects Council approved for 2025 include:

  • Approximately 56 per cent of the capital budget is going toward road and bridge projects.
  • $7.8 million in grants to various organizations for recreation, health, community, culture, seniors and special needs transportation, and libraries.
  • $3.1 million in transfers to the provincial government for RCMP and other policing costs. 
  • An estimated $4.9 million in Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) contributions, cost sharing agreements with other with other municipalities, including the City of Grande Prairie and the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley, pending outcomes of ongoing contract negotiations. 
  • $1.3 million to the City of Grande Prairie for the revenue sharing agreement which has the purpose of fostering regional development (share of municipal tax revenue – 20 per cent from the co-generational facility and 10 per cent on any new commercial/industrial development in areas serviced by Aquatera). 
  • $1.2 million to replace the Bezanson water main and curb stop. Council requested that Administration explore possibilities for cost recovery.
  • $100,000 to the Compassion House Foundation to support accommodations for women receiving cancer care in Edmonton, to be paid in five annual installments of $20,000 from 2025 to 2029.

The 2025 final budget and tax rates will be approved in April once the amounts collected for education and property assessment values by the provincial government are confirmed.

Learn more about highlights of the 2025 interim operating and capital budgets in the Budget Highlights.

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Additional information: See Budget Highlights 

Media Contacts:
Bob Marshall
Reeve
780-933-2053

Joulia Whittleton
County Manager
780-532-9722

Budget Highlights

Capital Budget

Approximately $33 million is being invested in capital road and bridge projects including surfacing Richmond Hill Estates (West) and Morgan’s Mountain Estates.

Grant funding is estimated at $7.1 million, including an estimated $1.5 million Canada Community Building Fund, an estimated $4.7 million in funding from Local Government Fiscal Framework Grant and an estimated $593,000 Alberta Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program grant.

Some of the highlights of the capital budget include:

  • $15 million for Phase 1 of the Clairmont Detachment Building
  • $14.2 million for the divisional road program
  • $9.4 million in surfaced road rehabilitation
  • $7.1 million for mobile equipment replacement
  • $2.1 million for Morgan's Mountain Estates Road Surfacing
  • $1.7 million for Richmond Hill Estates (West) Road Surfacing
  • $1.5 million in sewer line repairs in Hythe
  • $1.2 million in water main and curb-stop replacement in Bezanson
  • $400,000 upgrade to the Range Road 53 and Highway 43 intersection

Operating Budget

The proposed operating budget for 2025 includes:

  • $7.8 million in grants to various organizations for recreation, health, community, culture, seniors and special needs transportation, and libraries.
  • An estimated $4.9 million in Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) contributions, cost sharing agreements with other municipalities, including the City of Grande Prairie and the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley, pending outcomes of ongoing contract negotiations.  
  • An estimated $1.3 million to the City of Grande Prairie for the tax sharing agreement to be allocated to projects fostering regional development (share of municipal tax revenue – 20 per cent from the co-generational facility and 10 per cent on any new commercial/industrial development in areas serviced by Aquatera).
  • More than $1.1 million for the County Library Board grant.
  • $600,000 to STARS, in installments of $200,000 annually for three years, 2025 to 2027.

Schedule of Fees and Rates Changes

Schedule of fees changes proposed for 2025 will be deliberated in a future Council meeting in December. The updated schedule of fees, rates, and charges Bylaw will be posted in early 2025.