Council Meeting Highlights — August 14, 2025

The items below focus on key decisions and issues that have emerged from the August 14, 2025, County Council Meeting.

Mid-Year Budget Highlights Presented to Council

Council reviewed the June 30 budget update, which tracks revenues, expenses, and capital projects across all departments.

Key points included:

Municipal Taxations & Requisition – Property tax revenue is fully reported, with an extra $100,000 in non-residential taxes collected from delayed assessments. Uncollectable taxes remain low at $11,000, though several large linear and industrial accounts are still outstanding.

Corporate Services – Tax arrears costs are up by $35,000 due to increased non-payment. Small business tax cancellations remain within budget.

Operations – The annual gravel program completed 92 miles of roadwork by June 30. The cold storage facility fire resulted in $185,000 in costs, with an insurance claim underway.

Community Engagement – Community grants of $52,983 have been distributed, with a total of $693,000 allocated for 2025. Paddle River Dam Campground revenues are up $26,000 compared to last year.

Infrastructure – Major projects include the Rochfort Bridge Lagoon SRS machine installation and upcoming Peter Trynchy Airport site improvements.

The mid-year update also notes that several grant payments and project expenses will be finalized later in the year.

Council Requests Federal Drought Relief for Local Producers

County Council has approved a letter to the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, requesting that Lac Ste. Anne County should be included in the 2025 Federal Livestock Tax Deferral Program.

This request follows prolonged drought conditions that have severely impacted forage, pasture, crop yields, and water supplies in areas of the County. Many producers are facing reduced feed availability, higher costs, and herd reduction decisions. Inclusion in the federal program would allow eligible livestock producers to defer a portion of income from herd sales to the following tax year, to ease cash flow pressures and support recovery efforts.

For additional details on how the program works and a full list of the Prescribed Drought Regions for 2025, visit the Government of Canada's Livestock Tax Deferral webpage.

County to Fund Water Distribution Line into Hamlet of Darwell

County Council has approved contributing $360,000 toward the WILD Water Commission’s new water distribution line into the Hamlet of Darwell. The project will connect the Darwell Public Works Facility and the Darwell School, with potential access for residents and community groups.

WILD Water will cover the County’s share upfront, to be repaid over three years at 3% interest, funded through the Community Aggregate Fund. Northern Gateway Public Schools will contribute $50,000, and WILD Water will contribute $250,000 toward the project’s total cost of $660,000.

To learn more about the West Inter Lake District Water Commission (WILD Water), please visit their website, WILD Water.

Metrix Group LLP Appointed as County Auditors

County Council has appointed Metrix Group LLP as the County’s financial auditing firm for the years 2025, 2026, and 2027.

The decision follows a competitive Request for Proposal process with three qualified firms submitting bids. Proposals were evaluated based on price, municipal auditing experience, staff resources, and understanding of the County's auditing requirements.

Metrix Group LLP was selected for its strong municipal audit background, competitive pricing, and capacity to meet the County’s needs. Their 2024 audit fee was $31,000 including a Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) review and Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) audit.

Aggregate Resource Redistricting Bylaw Moves to Next Stage

Council has given second reading to Bylaw 22-2017-04-2025, which proposes changing the land use designation for three parcels  — NW 33-53-03 W5M, NE 33-53-03 W5M, and SW 34-53-03 W5M from Agricultural ‘1’ (AG1) District to Aggregate Resource Extraction & Processing (AR) District.

If approved, this change would allow the lands to be used for aggregate extraction and related processing activities. Before the bylaw can proceed to third and final reading, Council has directed Administration to obtain additional studies to ensure potential impacts, such as environmental considerations, traffic, noise, and dust, are properly assessed.

This staged approach allows County Council to review detailed information before making a final decision on whether to approve the redistricting.