ST. PAUL – The County of St. Paul is projecting a tax increase after council approved the proposed interim municipal budget for 2025.
During the Dec. 10 County of St. Paul council meeting, council discussed the interim budget but must wait until the County’s finances for 2024 have been fully completed – which is expected to be sometime in early 2025. Until then, the projected amount of the tax increase is unknown.
“The tax increases for 2025 relate solely to the increase required to fund the increase to operations of the MD Foundation, as well as ‘The Lodge’ project managed by the MD Foundation,” according to information presented at the council meeting.
Administration estimates the tax increase to be less than four per cent.
In a follow-up interview with Reeve Glen Ockerman, he explained the County will cover about 70 per cent of the requisition of the $50 million senior housing project.
“That's probably the biggest one there where we'll see the tax increase. We know that one's going to be about a 2.75 per cent increase right there,” said Ockerman.
Funding for the Lodge Project includes a $4 million upfront commitment from the Town of St. Paul, County of St. Paul, and the Town of Elk Point.
During the Dec. 9 Town of St. Paul council meeting, Chief Financial Officer Mitchel Bachelet said the Town’s ratepayers will also see some tax increase as the Town’s requisition for the Lodge Project have increased.
Interim Budget
As per the County’s proposed interim budget, the County is projecting $39.729 million in total revenues for 2025, and $39.725 million in total expenditures, leaving a budgeted surplus of $3,655.
Notably, the interim budget plans to draw $3.2 million from its reserves to fund future expenditures, which is about $300,000 higher than the 2024 budget.
CAO Jason Storch told council that administration will find budget efficiencies between now and the approval of the actual budget in March 2025, in order to reduce the need to use reserves.
Priorities
Asked what some of the County’s priorities are for 2025, Ockerman said priorities include infrastructure projects like quality road improvements.
“Maybe not as many miles, but a better quality road when we're done.”
Ockerman also said the County is hoping to get some assistance from the provincial government to improve the water systems in areas like Mallaig, Ashmont, and Lottie Lake.
Aging water systems are a top concern for the County, explained Ockerman. Some areas do not even have pressurized water systems like in Lottie Lake, he explained.
“So, we’re really, really sort of focusing on that and trying to bring the users into the fold and to get a system there.”