Council Highlights: 2019 Municipal Budget Deliberations

RIVERVIEW (N.B.) – This week, Riverview Town Council concluded budget deliberations which prepare Council to adopt the 2019 municipal budget. Due to the significant prior discussions Council held earlier in 2018 when it approved the Town’s updated Ten-Year Capital Budget Plan, the Committee of the Whole meeting to continue deliberations scheduled for November 24 is no longer necessary and has been cancelled.

The budgets will be brought to the Regular Council Meeting of December 10, 2018 for final review and approval.

As usual there remain two unknowns in the budget while the Town awaits final numbers from the Province of New Brunswick on the Town’s tax assessment base and its unconditional grant. If those figures vary significantly from the anticipated number used in the draft General Operating Budget, Council may need to meet again before December 10 to discuss the impact.

Below is a summary of what Council heard and discussed in preparation for the adoption of the 2019 municipal budget.

External presentations summary – October 25, 2018

Council heard budget presentations from external agencies that receive annual funding from the Town of Riverview. Here’s what those groups proposed to Council for its consideration in the 2019 budget. All were accepted by Council unless otherwise noted.

Codiac Regional Policing Authority: Requested $3,419,802 for Town’s 11.4% share of $30M tri-community policing budget.

Riverview Public Library: $13,000, an increase of $400 over 2018 funding. Per provincial legislation, NB municipalities must provide space and equipment for the operation of local libraries.

Riverview Arts Centre: Requested $70,000; Council moved to grant $59,000 consistent with 2018 funding.

Capitol Theatre: $74,730 consistent with 2018 funding.

Trans Aqua: $1,689,698, or $210 per household, consistent with 2018 rates. This cost is passed onto water and sewer rate payers.

Riverview Boys and Girls Club: In-kind grant of $53,573; market value of space the Town provides for the RBGC in Coverdale Centre at no charge.

3 Plus Corporation: $78,074 consistent with 2018 funding.

Codiac Transpo: Requested service fee of $467,744, a decrease from year prior due to lower maintenance costs on Riverview’s two new buses.

Budget deliberations – November 21, 2018

Council reviewed the 2019 General Operating Fund, Utility Operating Fund, 2019 Capital Budgets, and the Town’s Ten-Year Capital Plan.

The key budget highlights discussed and presented included:

1 cent tax rate increase to a rate of 1.5926 per $100 of assessment.
An anticipated increase to the overall tax base of 1.78%, which is positive growth when compared to the last few years.
Existing departmental operating budgets, including contractual settlement and increase to benefits, utility increase etc. were maintained within a 2% overall budget growth parameter.
The WorkSafeNB premium increase had a significant impact to the Town’s benefits budget. Premiums for 2019 have not yet been released; staff estimates the increase will be approximately $100,000.
The Town is setting aside funds to smooth out the known budget increase the Town will face when the new Codiac RCMP station is operational in 2022.
A new Codiac Transpo bus and funding for a new transit route is included in the proposed budget.
Funds have been allocated to continue the planning and project development for a future Wellness Centre in Riverview.
The capital budget continues to invest in local street improvements, the pavement program, replacing Lion Ken Gabbey Community Pool and building, a sidewalk on Canusa Drive, and continued investment in the development Mill Creek Nature Park.
Water and sewer rates will increase by 2.5% from $874 to $896; this equates to $5.50 per quarter. The rate passed onto water and sewer ratepayers is influenced by the water rate the Town must pay the City of Moncton for the purchase of water, and part of this increase is to help prepare for the impact of future capital infrastructure costs required to address the blue-green algae issue at the Turtle Creek Reservoir.

For greater detail about the budget Council has deliberated, please visit the agenda package for the November 21 Committee of the Whole. Questions? Send an email to budget@townofriverview.ca or phone 506-387-2020.