Discussions on the County of Grande Prairie’s 2017 budget were supposed to happen this week, but instead they’ve been deferred to next year.
Council says they wanted to hold off until a decision is made on annexation and the province releases its budget. The current economic uncertainty in Alberta also played a factor.
The tax rate will now be finalized next spring, at the same time as the 2016 budget is finalized. An interim one was approved last week, but it won’t be final until the provincial budget is released, property assessment values are received, and market conditions are reviewed.
For now, the interim one is pegged at $109.6 million, with just under a $900,000 deficit. It includes $27.4 million for road construction and grants for several local organizations.