The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary board of directors has approved the largest annual budget in its history, worth $92.5 million.
According to a news release, along with reserve funds, property and parcel taxes, and short and long term borrowing, the RDKB is using a “significant” amount of grant funding to balance the books this year.
Government grants comprise 34 per cent of the revenue ($31.5 million), of which $22.8 million will support the Columbia Pollution Control Centre (wastewater treatment plant) in Trail.
Capital expenditures make up 51 per cent ($47.3 million) of the budget and includes projects such as the start of the pollution control centre upgrade at a cost of $31 million in 2022.
Other capital projects include the completion of the Boundary organics facility upgrade in Grand Forks, new fire apparatus in Christina Lake and rural Grand Forks, the continued development of the Food Hub in Rock Creek, and other economic development initiatives throughout the region.
Also on the horizon are two infrastructure projects associated with the continued regional development of the organics diversion programs: the McKelvey Creek landfill Upgrade Project in Trail and the purchase of organics processing equipment.
Future projects include the implementation of a green bin curbside collection for 8,200 homes in Greater Trail. This program was initially implemented as a pilot program in the Boundary.
“Our directors and staff have worked incredibly hard to develop a budget that effectively meets the needs of residents and has the capacity to deliver a vast range of improved services, wherever they live in the Kootenay Boundary,” says board chair Linda Worley.
“This year we ran a successful series of virtual town hall meetings across Areas A to E to engage the public in our budget process and give them a voice. Thanks to the contributions of our federal and provincial government partners, this budget will allow us to forge ahead with much needed infrastructure upgrades, improvements, and implementation of exciting new projects.”
The full 2022-2026 five-year financial plan can be viewed on the RDKB website.
[infobox title=’RDKB BY THE NUMBERS’]
Number of municipalities: 8
Number of electoral areas: 5
Number of services: 70
Size: 8,200 square kilometers
Services as a percentage of the budget
Environmental: 57
Protective and public safety (including fire, emergency preparedness, and building inspection): 13 Recreation and culture: 12
General government: 7
Development services: 5
Transportation: 4
The remaining two per cent of expenses by category is municipal debt, which is a flow through process with no costs being borne by RDKB rural residents.[/infobox]