Speak up! Do the budget survey before September 16

The Town of Whitecourt is planning the 2017 budget and wants your input. To help every citizen be heard, and to help residents understand how the upcoming budget works, the town has created a user-friendly budget simulator.

Until September 16, you are invited to:

• Go to http://whitecourt.citizenbudget.com.
• Enter your current property value assessment in the space provided.
• Scroll down to review the sections (or select them from the drop down menu just above where you entered the assessed value). Sections include protective services; parks, recreation, and culture; planning and development; etc.
• Information on each section is provided along with a slider. Use the slider to show how you would like to adjust your property tax funding for that section.
• Below the slider is a comment box where you can provide an explanation on why you wish to increase or decrease your allocation.
• Check out your “budget” to see how your decisions impact property taxes and the overall levy.
• Fill in the “additional questions.”
• Hit “submit.”

Your input will be reviewed and considered by the Town of Whitecourt as it deliberates the 2017 budget.

The town has provided this highly informative, interactive, and fun tool so each Whitecourt resident can provide valuable first-person input on how tax dollars would be used, and also to give a much more in-depth look at how each dollar is allocated, why it is allocated in that manner, and how that allocation benefits the entire town.

Taxes are a part of life. Without fair and reasonable taxes, we wouldn’t have the programs and services that make Whitecourt such a happy and healthy place to live. When everyone gives a little, everyone gains a lot. The town’s commitment to transparency and open communication with its citizens is to be commended. Check out the budget tool today and help shape Whitecourt’s growth and development.