Red Deer City Council looking to keep tax increase just below 1%

From The City of Red Deer

2020 Operating Budget approved with direction for further reductions

After five days of deliberations, City Council approved a $389 million Operating Budget, reducing the proposed 2.49 per cent tax increase to 1.26 per cent with direction to identify further savings to reduce to 0.97 per cent.

To achieve the reduced tax rate, Council directed administration to identify an additional $400,000 in cost savings by the end of February.

“Our goal is to always keep the budget and cost of living in Red Deer as affordable as possible withoutcompromising our ability to provide quality services to our citizens,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “Administration met Council’s guidelines set in the spring, but with the continued economic recession, we need to find further savings which will result in a significantly reduced budget than we were originally expecting.”

To make the initial reductions to the proposed tax rate during deliberations, Council approved approximately $2.1 million in corporate cost savings, revenues, and efficiencies. These savings included eliminating a $500,000 transfer from operating to the operating reserve tax supported fund, as well as reducing the proposed 2020 capital contribution from one per cent to 0.5 per cent at a value of $682,000.

“In response to the economy, we have frozen staffing levels in 2020, with the exception of policing to address community safety challenges,” said Mayor Veer.

“Much like the Capital Budget, the Operating Budget is focused on maintaining current service levels. Cost savings were achieved where possible and we are able to honour previous commitments focusing on community safety by maintaining the added member complement in the RCMP,” said Allan Seabrooke, City Manager. “Council provided direction to administration to find an additional reduction of $400,000, and we’ll take the next six weeks to comb through the budget to identify further cost savings while minimizing impacts on our citizens and staff.”

Administration will bring a report back to Council at the end of February outlining the additional cost savings, giving time for the Tax Rate Bylaw to be adopted in April. The municipal tax rate will then be combined with the provincial education tax requisition and the requisition for the Piper Creek Foundation to determine how much property tax residents will pay.

For a home valued at $325,000, a homeowner will pay $2,338.09 in the municipal portion of their taxes based on a 0.97 per cent increase. This works out to an increase of $22.46 per year or $1.87 per month.

Residents can find out more about the 2020 Operating Budget by visiting The City’s website atwww.reddeer.ca/budget.City

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After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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City of Red Deer

City of Red Deer Employee Honoured with Bob Stollings Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions

Published on April 10, 2025

City of Red Deer

Annette Scheper, Community & Program Facilitator in the Safe & Healthy Communities Department is The City’s 2025 recipient of the Bob Stollings Memorial Award.

The Bob Stollings Memorial Award is given out each year to a City employee who displays outstanding performance in alignment with The City’s RISE cornerstone values – respect, integrity, service and excellence. Nominations for the award are submitted by fellow coworkers detailing the employee’s achievements professionally and interpersonally, along with letters of support. The award is considered a great honour among City staff.

With an impressive 22-year career, Annette has played a pivotal role in shaping Red Deer’s cultural and special events landscape. Her leadership and innovation have brought thousands of successful events to life, creating lasting traditions that enrich the lives of residents. Her commitment to excellence and resourcefulness has ensured that community initiatives are inclusive, accessible, and impactful.

One of Annette’s most notable achievements is the development of the Community Loan Program, which provides essential resources for local groups, contributing an annual value of $86,778.95 back into the community. In addition, she has successfully led and executed a variety of large-scale events, demonstrating remarkable problem-solving skills and a dedication to sustainability. From creating elaborate event designs with repurposed materials to managing complex logistics, she continuously sets the standard for excellence.

“Annette exemplifies the best of our organization,” said City Manager, Tara Lodewyk. “Her unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and ability to bring people together has made a profound impact on our city. This award is a testament to her hard work and passion for creating meaningful experiences for our community.”

The Bob Stollings Memorial Award was first established in 1985 and is presented every year to honour Robert (Bob) E. Stollings, a loyal and dedicated City employee from 1960-1984.

City of Red Deer

Red Deer will choose a new Mayor as Ken Johnston decides to step away

Published on January 23, 2025

Duane Rolheiser

It’s a telling detail about the person who leads Red Deer City Council. Always putting the city’s needs ahead of his own, Mayor Ken Johnston has announced his intentions within days of the opening of Nominations for October’s municipal elections,

After 12 years on council, Mayor Ken Johnston has decided against running for a second term as Mayor this fall. Johnson shared his decision in front of colleagues and supporters in a touching announcement on Wednesday.

At 71 years old, Johnston remains vibrant, passionate and healthy. He says that’s exactly why he and his wife Carolyn have decided now is the right time to start their next stage of life together.

Mayor Johnston listed a number of highlights and achievements he can look back on, including his help advocating for the redevelopment of Red Deer Regional Hospital, the growth of Red Deer Polytechnic, and positive moves in Economic Development.

All these lead of a feeling of ease about the decision to step away, though affordable housing and a permanent shelter for the homeless remain pressing concerns.

With about 8 months remaining in his term, Mayor Johnston is planning to push hard to move the needle on these housing issues.

“We’re looking forward to some more work and we’ll be going to the community shortly about it. So I still have optimism that maybe before the term is out we can have an announcement.”

This is the second major political announcement in Central Alberta in the last number of days. Earlier this week Red Deer Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen announced he won’t be running in the next federal election.