Town of Strathmore opens budget season

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Budget season has officially begun, as the 2026 capital and operating budget drafts were introduced to Town of Strathmore council, Nov. 6, for the first time.

As it was meant to serve as a summary introduction, no voting or deliberation took place during the meeting following the presentation.

“The 2026 proposed budget provides predictable and prudent tax rates and user fees that reduce the overall town debt. It has been designed to be fiscally responsible and strategic, and the proposed municipal property tax increase this year is 2.8 per cent,” said Kevin Scoble, CAO for the Town of Strathmore. “We are looking at potentially a 13 per cent overall tax increase and that is based on an estimated 20 per cent increase in the provincial education requisition.”

He added the town is observing a 1.8 per cent growth, which has been built into the tax base of the community compared to last year. 

The previous operating budget comprised 74 per cent of the total budget; this year, it will be 77 per cent. Similarly, the capital budget was 19 per cent last year, and it will be 16 per cent this year. Contributions to reserves will remain the same at seven per cent.

“The key focus on this budget is on maintaining current service levels and maintaining our existing infrastructure in a state of good repair,” explained Riley Brolly, manager of financial planning, budgeting and reporting. “When we are talking about tax increases, a one per cent municipal tax increase equates to about $180,000 for the town. A 2.8 per cent municipal tax increase is about $53 on average per household in Strathmore – about seven dollars a month.”

The town is projected to bring in $44.2 million in revenue to provide $44.2 million in service through the operating budget, presenting an increase of $2.9 million from the previous year. 

“To fund the services that we are proposing in this budget, we are looking to raise $17.5 million in taxes. That’s a five per cent increase over the prior year,” added Brolly.He described that metric is comprised of the 2.8 per cent municipal tax increase, as well as local growth overall to the town.

The town maintains a long-term debt bylaw which limits its capacity for debts to 60 per cent of what is allowed through the Municipal Government Act (MGA). It is anticipated that through this proposed budget, the town will be at 30 per cent of the maximum debt allowed under the MGA by the end of 2026.

Franchise fees related to Fortis and ATCO Gas were also noted to be projecting a 5.7 per cent increase in revenue to the town. Other user fees such as those regarding planning, development, business licenses, and facilities are expected to see a 17 per cent increase due to community growth.

Council’s schedule is currently set up to ensure the Operating and Capital budget is reviewed and deemed satisfactory in its contents in order to be approved on Dec. 3.

Budget documents are publicly available through the town website. Three days of council workshops have been scheduled to deliberate the budget, falling on Nov. 20, 25, and 27. 

A Citizen’s Budget Café (Coffee with Council) session has been scheduled to take place in council chambers on Nov. 17.