Following is my message in the Town of Killam Christmas Newsletter, for those who would not see it in their mailbox.
On behalf of my family & I, we wish you a Merry Christmas & the best for 2017.
Sincerely,
Bud James
As the year 2016 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few recent happenings regarding the Town of Killam government.
On behalf of my family & I, we wish you a Merry Christmas & the best for 2017.
Sincerely,
Bud James
As the year 2016 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to highlight a few recent happenings regarding the Town of Killam government.
Our Council, along with Council members from all the
other Flagstaff area communities, have been working on determining the best way
to move forward as a regional community.
Regional Governance and what that looks like is a conversation we all
must have. Each of us has challenges
keeping an acceptable level of service while keeping property taxes
reasonable. Our provincial government
has let it be known that future funding for municipalities will be, in large
part, tied to cooperation & partnerships.
We have asked for your input as we have been working through this. The work continues and we will need you to be
engaged in this discussion moving forward.
In August we were very pleased to have Hon. Sarah
Hoffman, Minister of Health for Government of Alberta, and Ed Stelmach, Chair
of Covenant Health, in Killam to announce the Killam Health Centre Continuing
Care Unit upgrade. This building upgrade
and accompanying change in operations will have a very positive impact on the
residents at our Continuing Care facility.
While you may not see much in the way of construction over the winter,
the addition will come together quickly starting in spring 2017. This will be followed by the renovation
phase, with completion expected in 2018.
This project, along with various others, has brought the
total amount of Development Permits issued (to date) for 2016 to $10,262,500.
Our residential subdivision project is on hold pending approval from Alberta Environment for
a roadway to be built near the waterway. The delay means we must, unfortunately, wait to
break ground until the spring of 2017. The contractors who have been awarded the project
through a tendering process have committed to hold their pricing for the 2017 construction
season, with negotiations required for possible Material increases.
You may remember that Council committed to a 0% increase
in property tax revenue in 2016. We are,
unfortunately, unable to make the same commitment for 2017, and have instructed
Administration to prepare a budget based on an increase of 2.5%. Council is keenly aware that property taxes
are a major expense for every homeowner and business owner, and we constantly
are challenging Administration to find savings in the budget for each
department. However, a slight increase
in revenue is required to offset costs.
Please note that there is a monthly option to paying your property taxes
but this must be set up prior to year end – please contact the Town Office for
more information.
Your Council has started the final year of their 4 year
term of office, and we will once again be having a general election for Alberta
municipalities in October 2017. Do you
think you may want to run for municipal government? If so please contact me or another one of our
current Council members for a confidential discussion on what this would mean
for you in terms of time commitment and obligations. Alternatively there are other opportunities
to find this out – contact CAO Kim Borgel for more information.
Those of us who follow the political discourse – local,
regional or national – will likely agree that these conversations lately have
been quite nasty. This is very
unfortunate to see & hear, and very disconcerting to be a part of. Our Council has, to their credit, chosen to
rise above this by reaffirming their commitment to a Councillor Code of
Conduct. They, like I, believe it is
fair to debate the issues, but inappropriate to attack the individual whose
opinion may differ from ours. My
colleagues have deliberately committed to this in words and in actions, and I
want to thank them for this and for their continuing good work on behalf of the
citizens of Killam.
As well, I want to take this opportunity to thank the
Town of Killam Administration team for their hard work & dedication. On a daily basis they demonstrate an
incredible pride in their community and profound respect for each & every tax
dollar you entrust us with.
In Killam we like to say we are living “Life Without
Compromise”, and I believe 2016 demonstrates this very well. We have much to be thankful for and a future
full of promise.
On behalf of my Council colleagues and all our families,
I wish our citizens, our neighbours, and our friends all a Merry Christmas and
the very best for 2017.
Sincerely,
Bud James
Mayor