Spring Gulch water, steady mill rate in 2018 Happy Valley-Goose Bay budget

The town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay passed its largest budget to date Monday night, fulfilling the promise of better quality water without a tax increase.

The mill rate remains the same for homes and businesses but each household will have to pay an extra $25 on their water rate to help supply the Valley area of town with Spring Gulch water.

"Most people would probably agree that, I mean, we're spending that in buying bottled water," said councillor and Valley residentJackie Compton Hobbs.

Accessing Spring Gulch water which is located on and operated by 5 Wing Goose Bay will cost the town roughly $200,000 a year and will allow the closure of the municipal well with the worst water quality, according to Mayor Wally Andersen.

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"We're still going to have to use a bit of our backup water," he said. "The bit of water we have to use will come from wells two and three and that water is pretty good."

Andersen said Spring Gulch will provide "close to all the water" in the town starting March 31 at the latest.

Largest budget

This year's budget is the largest in Happy Valley-Goose Bay's history at $23,232,000. That's about $3.6 million more than last year's already large budget.

"It is concerning," said Andersen. "Probably sometime in April we'll take the time to sit down and we'll go through every department that we got to see where we can find savings and make some cutbacks."

"Because we all know that in the very near future the price of land is probably going to drop, and when that drops, then so will the money that we get each year from each household.

Wellness centre

More than a quarter of the budget, $6 million,is going toward a proposedcost-sharedwellness centre.

"It wasn't very long ago that we got a letter of confirmation from the federal government that they've got theirs," Andersen said, referring toOttawa's financial stake inthe wellness centre.

"We're still waiting for the province and from all indications, that will be coming shortly."

Council hopes construction will start on the $22 millionfacility in June.

Data centres dinged

While homes and businesses aren't seeing a tax increase, a new tax structure was created to capitalize on computer server warehouses.

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"Data centres are operating in the community but they're not being taxed at the moment," said Compton Hobbs

She said there are currently two data centres up and running and there is a potential to see more. The 55.00 millrate will be applied to all.

New hires

The town will be hiring a Red Seal electrician and a second municipal bylaw enforcement officer.

The price of the extra positions wasn't immediately available but the town expects having an electrician on staff will saveoverall and hiring a second enforcement officer will help with the growing number of concerns from residents.

Money will also be spent on radar speeding signs, security cameras, Kinsmen Park upgrades, a backhoe, a new truck for the fire chief, equipment for the fire hall and new uniforms for volunteer firefighters.

Tipping fees

The only measure of the budget not unanimously passed was an increase of tipping fees at the dump.

Out-of-town users will see a 25 per cent spike. Local landfill goers will have to pay an extra 10 per cent translatingto about an extra dollar per truckload.

Mayor Hickey

The town lost its mayor, John Hickey, just before Christmas in a tragic hunting accident. This would have been his first budget since reclaiming the mayoral chair he previously held in the early 2000s.

Andersen recently took over for Hickey, pledging to keep his friend in mind when making decisions.

"I think John would look at us and say you did the most important thing of all, you kept the taxes down, you're providing the residents in the Valley with good, quality drinking water,"Andersen said.

"Overall I think he would have been pleased with our budget."