One lone voice speaks at Budget 2020 Public Consultation

The Town of Whitecourt is preparing for the 2020 budget and recently asked for input from residents. On September 23, ratepayers were invited to speak before council. Only one resident, former Councillor Darlene Chartrand, chose to speak. She asked council to reduce non-essential expenses instead of increasing revenues to balance the budget. “They need to focus on the non-essential expenses, and I know from sitting on council for eight years that there’s a lot of them. We’re in an economic time where the private sector and we as individuals have had to cut back and not just that either because there are people that are struggling to put food on the table and to pay their utilities.”

Chartrand, who works at a local lawyer’s office, said that they see a lot of hardship cross their desks. “We are seeing lots of landlord tenancy matters where people are behind on their rent, and we see foreclosures too. It’s time to take the blinders off. You must stop increasing the taxes. It’s happening on a municipal level, on a provincial level, and a federal level and everybody has the mentality that it’s only fifty dollars here or fifty dollars there but then us as the taxpayer at the bottom of it, we’re getting it from everyone.”

She urged council to pass a zero percent increase for property taxes. “I feel for young families because they can’t make ends meet. Some people have lost hours, some have had their wages cut back and how do you sustain? I think if council had a hard look at things that they would see that. Why are registrations down in minor hockey? Why were the registrations down in soccer? Why were the registrations so low in ball this year? Because parents can’t afford the amount it costs to register,” said Chartrand.

“I don’t want to be the negative Nancy, but you also have to be a realist.” She added that she is very appreciative that council allows residents to speak but that she hopes to see more opportunities come forward to get residents engaged. “I think if you allow the public to engage in a two-way conversation, then it makes a difference. Now, while they are preparing the budget, is when they should be showing the numbers and asking residents what they think. They also need to break it down so that residents understand what the costs will be.”

Chartrand said that over the years she had heard the argument that Whitecourt has become a community that has a standard of living that it doesn’t want to let go of but that it’s important to look at the percentage of the community that might not be able to afford it. “Canada Revenue Agency says that 50 percent of the population in Whitecourt have an annual family income of $100,000 or more and that might be true but what about the fifty percent that doesn’t? How far below that are they?”

She said that residents need to get involved. “Even the water agreement and the cost-sharing agreements and the disputes going on between the two municipalities right now, that’s not something that flew out of the night. That’s been ongoing for a while, and people didn’t pay attention. Now, suddenly, when it affects you, and you read in the paper that your water is going to be shut off in two years, then you’re up at arms. Well, people should’ve been going to their councils earlier and stayed informed.”

Chartrand’s comments were accepted as information and joined the other comments received through written and verbal submissions outside of the meeting. Residents who left comments online were also added to the report. Comments included proposing an alternative rate structure to maintain or reduce the cost of the Garbage Collection and Recycling Program and a request to see a cost comparison completed with other communities.

One resident asked for updated lighting and line painting along Caxton Street to improve visibility. Another mentioned the items they wanted to continue in 2020 including FireSmart, flood mitigation, a speed control study and/or implementation in certain areas, improved recycling options and hospital service needs and the things they want to see paused, including beautification, any additional funding to the Whitecourt Wolverines and tax relief for any corporation.

The report also listed comments from Facebook such as improving snow removal in cul de sacs, cutting employee wages and shutting off the fountain at Rotary Park on rainy days to save money. “Anyone can ask the town office to send them an agenda for their weekly council meetings. I go through it, and if there’s something I want to hear about or expand upon, then I go and listen. Alternatively, you can read the minutes. If people invested two hours a week in their community, they would be shocked at what they learn and the difference they can make,” said Chartrand.