Maintaining and investing in infrastructure and facilities that ensure Martensville continues to be a great place in which to live, work, and invest will be the focus of the budget in 2018, City Council approved the 2018 Budget at the February 20th Council Meeting.
“Continuing to manage operational expenses and identifying the wants and needs of the community have been the focus of our budget meetings over the past number of months,” says Mayor Kent Muench. “As the City moves into 2018 projects, we continue to prioritize the needs of the City and ensure we have the financial sustainability to meet those needs, while minimizing the impact on residents and ensuring their hard-earned dollars are well-spent.”
Projects for 2018 related to infrastructure and planning include the completion of the Southeast Sector Plan, and the annexation of lands surrounding the City. Council has also committed $527,000 to roadways. “This is an effort to work towards an annual roadways maintenance budget of $600,000 to ensure the City’s infrastructure is maintained and at optimum service levels, which we know is important to our residents,” says Muench.
The City’s work to connect the City’s 7+ kilometers of paved pathways leading to Kinsmen Park will continue, and the life span of the aging Sports Centre will be assessed. More budget highlights can be found in the attached document. In the coming months, the City will set the mill rate based on final assessment values from the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency, and the results of the provincial budget in April. To be diligent, the City has budgeted for a 2% increase in total mill rate revenue.
There will be no changes to the residential base tax levy, garbage and recycling fees, or the wastewater treatment levy. However, in keeping with Council’s commitment to a future recreation facility, deemed a high priority by residents in the Recreation and Parks Master Plan, the recreation facility levy of $25.00 will be increased to $100.00 per property. Overall, the average home owner will see an increase to their municipal property taxes of approximately $102.50 per year or $8.54 per month in 2018.
The City hopes 2018 is another successful year. In 2017 major work was done to ensure needed infrastructure was in place including roadway upgrades from 10th Avenue to 16th Avenue to Main Street, including the City’s first traffic circle, and paving and curbing of Main Street along Lake Vista. “With the two new schools opening last fall, these were high priority projects,” says Muench. “Improved roadways along the Lake Vista area will also open more opportunities for commercial development in the area, enhance residential development, and will be an asset for future growth in the east part of our City.”
Another exciting project was the construction and opening of the Kyle Syrenne Skatepark. “This partnership between the Syrenne family and the City of Martensville has resulted in a wonderful addition to Kinsmen Park,” says Muench. “We know it will be valued by our youth, and we look forward to celebrating the grand opening this summer and to continuing serving the great residents of Martensville in 2018!”