County seeking input for its 2021 budget
By Jensen, Randy on September 4, 2020.
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
Lethbridge County Council and administration is preparing to begin its 2021 Budget process.
The County has received input from many citizens and businesses throughout the year and through budget surveys that were completed in 2018 and 2019 with regard to municipal services and projects. In an effort to keep County citizens and businesses informed, a document titled “Municipal Budgeting: Understanding the Budget Process” has been created to give the public insight into how budget decisions are made and how revenues and expenses are allocated, and also includes details on average costs for operational projects such as grading, haul route maintenance, etc.
Once individuals have read the Municipal Budgeting document, they are encouraged to provide input on their budget priorities through the 2021 Budget Feedback Form, which is available online or at the County’s Lethbridge administration office until Oct. 31. The information gathered from these forms will be compiled and presented to council and management prior to budget deliberations.
“We wanted to give our citizens and businesses a more in-depth look into how the budget is created each year,” says Manager of Finance and Administration Jennifer Place in a news release. “There are a lot of considerations council and administration must make to ensure that we can provide our taxpayers with the municipal services they expect, while also being fiscally responsible and responding to current funding challenges.”
“Council and staff are committed to receiving public feedback on county projects and initiatives,” adds Chief Administrative Officer Ann Mitchell. “This feedback helps to guide the budget process and allows council and administration to make informed decisions on future spending.”
The Municipal Budgeting Document, 2021 Budget Feedback Form, and additional information on the 2021 Budget process is available at http://lethcounty.ca/citizens/budget-2021.
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