During their Dec. 11 regular council meeting, Flagstaff County Council reviewed and approved their 2014 Business plan.
The plan identifies five strategic objectives of Council, which include:
• Community of Communities – Council’s commitment to working with the towns and villages to enhance existing partnerships and create new opportunities for sharing resources and creating new collaborative partnerships.
• Economic Prosperity – Developing key priorities and a shared vision to create more economic and industry opportunities in the county.
• Social Responsibility – Continuing to develop and maintain supportive services for seniors, youths, and adults, determining need, then developing long-term plans.
• Responsible Level of Service – Continue to provide efficient, effective, and equitable municipal services.
•Environmental Responsibility – Working to minimize any adverse impact on the natural environment by adopting eco-friend practices, progressive planning, and the use of green technology.
Council’s proposed budget shows an increase of almost 14 per cent over 2013, or $1.7 Million. Of that, 23.8 per cent will be funded by reserves, and 76.2 per cent will be funded from taxes.
The plan identifies three main factors for the increase; those being a lack of assessment growth, reduced provincial and federal grant funding, specifically a decrease in MSI Operating grant funding for public health and culture programs, and planned changes to programs and services.
The plan reports that assessments decreased by $1,279,690 in non-residential assessment from 2013 to 2014.
Read more in the January 14, 2014 edition of The Community Press. Available on newsstands and by E-Subscription now!
Leslie Cholowsky, Editor
