Media Release: Budget 2022 – Maintains Mil Rates and Enhances Services

The Town of Paradise presented Budget 2022 during the regular Public Council Meeting on December 21, 2021. The $39.4 million balanced budget maintains residential and commercial mil rates and fees, and presents a plan for strategic investments that meet the needs of all residents.  

“Our focus for our municipal budget centres on finding the right balance of programs and services that can be offered within our fiscal limitations, and Budget 2022 delivers on that,” said Mayor Dan Bobbett. “Last year we received COVID-19 stimulus funding which helped offset declining property assessments.  This year, we still faced stagnant property assessments but did not have stimulus funding. Through our LEAN continuous improvement program, we are continually evaluating our processes and operations enabling us to do more with less, and therefore did not have to make any changes to mil rates or fees for Budget 2022.” 

Key investments in Budget 2022 support the strategic directions outlined in the Town’s strategic plan, Your Paradise-Plan 2022, and include: 

• Investing in Town infrastructure projects to replace Lift Station 10, continue water and sewer upgrades, and continue Evergreen Village Phase I upgrades, 
• Implementing Neighbourhood Quieting initiatives to address traffic calming, speeding and safety concerns throughout the Town;
• Supporting businesses with continuation of Chamber membership support, launch of Business Concierge program and collaborating on a Regional Approach for Economic Development with neighbouring municipalities to further economic development priorities; 
• Maintaining the Accessible Transit Program and renovating non-accessible washrooms at the Town Hall to support the focus on improving accessibility at all Town facilities; 
• Investing in snow clearing operations to improve the service over the next three years; 
• Developing a Master Plan for Paradise Park, completing the multi-sport turf field at Dianne Whalen Memorial Soccer Complex, investing in the Elizabeth Park refresh Phase I, and undertaking concept development for a new Community Boathouse to support the Town’s social and cultural health; and 
• Investing in initiatives to support environmental stewardship including the design work for secondary treatment at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and developing a Public Information Campaign to help residents reduce household waste. 

“Our budget deliberations centre on finding the right fiscal plan for our Town. We have an obligation to meet the needs of our residents within current fiscal abilities, and Budget 2022 does just that,” said Councillor Elizabeth Laurie, Chair of the Administration and Corporate Services Committee. “With the direction of Your Paradise -Plan 2022, we have made strategic investments to provide the services and programs that are right for our Town and doing so based on spending responsibly and investing in areas that will have a lasting impact on Paradise.”

The complete 2022 Budget package is available on the Town’s website at www.paradise.ca/Budget