Whitecourt Town Council Update

Whitecourt Town Council passed Tax Rate Bylaw 1571 at the April 24, 2023 Regular Meeting, and property owners can expect to receive combined assessment and taxation notices in May. The 2023 Budget includes a 4.64% increase to the municipal tax rate. For the average single family home, this equates to an $8 increase in taxes per month. For details on how property taxes are calculated, and how tax dollars have been allocated in the 2023 Budget, please read through the 2023 Budget Report. The report is available on the Whitecourt website at www.whitecourt.ca/your-town. If you have questions about your tax notice or the 2023 Budget, please email administration@whitecourt.ca.

Town Council receive an overview of 2023 assessment figures by the municipal assessor at the April 24 Council Meeting.

• The valuation date for 2023 taxation of properties is July 1, 2022.
• Assessment values for single family homes have decreased by 0.2%. The average house value in Whitecourt is $327,700.
• Property owners can view the assessment report for their property online. Visit the Whitecourt website at www.whitecourt.ca/live/taxes-payments/taxes-payments under the section titled “Assessment Reports” and follow the link and instructions to view assessment reports.
• Property owners will receive a combined assessment and tax notice in May.

Whitecourt approved the 2022 Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. A presentation was made by the Town’s auditor, Curtis Friesen from Metrix Group, who reported that the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Town of Whitecourt as of the end of 2022.

The Whitecourt Fire Department presented its 2022 Annual Fire Report and provided the following highlights:

• The Whitecourt Fire Department responded to 343 call in our region.
• Members logged 10,639 hours responding to incidents, attending meetings and training, completing work.

A flat rate for bulk water has been adopted by the Town of Whitecourt. All bulk water users will be charged $8.89 per cubic metre.

The 2023 Street Improvement Program contract has been awarded to E-Construction Ltd. Work this year includes overlay and concrete work at the following locations:

• 55 Avenue and Dahl Drive/Mink Creek Road;
• 48 Street, from 56 Avenue to 57 Avenue;
• Nylan Crescent Cul de Sac;
• 56 Avenue, from 47A Street to 48 Street;
• 51 Avenue, from 47 Street to 48 Street;
• 38 Avenue & Kepler Street Intersection;
• Various locations to repair roadway resulting from water main breaks, underground service repairs and other utility cuts.

Whitecourt Town Council has awarded $30,000 in funding under the 2023 Enhancement Grant Program. Recipients include:

• Whitecourt Potters’ Guild - $6,826.71 for wheel and slab roller upgrades;
• The Woodchuckers – Whitecourt Cornhole League - $3,796.65 for league start up;
• Whitecourt Indigenous Friends Society - $5,999.92 for National Truth & Reconciliation Day;
• Whitecourt Minor Ball - $5,752.50 for pitching mound, announcer booth floor, and ramp;
• Whitecourt Baptist Church - $3,539.95 for The Joe Show;
• Whitecourt Woodlands Hawks Foundation - $4,084.27 for Essentials to Self- Sufficiency.

The Allan & Jean Millar Centre will offer the following community health events in the month of May, supported by local Alberta Health Services Health Promoters:

• The MAN VAN: May 3 from 11am to 3pm - Offers free baseline Prostate Specific Antigen blood testing for men ages 40-80; as well as blood sugar, blood pressure, mental wellness checks and waist circumference measurements for all men over the age of 18 years.
• The SHRed Mobile: May 31 – The Surveillance in High School and Community Sport to Reduce Concussions and Consequences of Concussions in Canadian Youth (SHRed) will be hosting an evening open house in the foyer at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre. The mobile unit houses equipment to facilitate concussion and injury prevention education.