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County passes budget

Red Deer County passed its $39-million operating and $26.3-million capital budgets on Tuesday.Council tabled the draft budget two weeks ago to give local ratepayers an opportunity to comment.

Red Deer County passed its $39-million operating and $26.3-million capital budgets on Tuesday.

Council tabled the draft budget two weeks ago to give local ratepayers an opportunity to comment.

No feedback was received, said Heather Gray, the county’s corporate services director.

Residents will have to wait until the spring to find out how much tax rates will go up, if at all. That’s when assessment data will be available, as well as the province’s school requisition.

Mayor Jim Wood has said residents shouldn’t expect any surprises.

“Red Deer County is in very good financial position,” said Wood on Tuesday.

The county is borrowing little and is expected to have $31.2 million socked away in reserves next year.

One new initiative added to the budget in the last two weeks was a $100,000 project to review the county’s offsite levies in Gasoline Alley.

Gray said there are a number of different levies in place and it is difficult for developers to know which apply to their projects. Levies are typically charged to developers to help cover the cost of necessary infrastructure such as roads, sewers and water lines