Sylvan Lake Town Council has taken a close look at needs versus wants in their latest 3 year budget plan that focuses only on the essentials.

As Communication Officer Joanne Gaudet explains, they've worked hard to find cost savings "so across the board operating budgets within departments have been cut in certain areas, decreased especially with goods and supplies and that sort of things so where we have been able to decrease we have.  Promotions, advertising areas like that we are cutting back.  We're looking at postponing some of the other projects that aren't necessary, we really took a magnifying glass to some of these initiatives we were looking at, does this need to happen this year or can we postpone them".

Project wise only the essentials are moving forward in 2017 with the opening of the NexSource Centre, necessary infrastructure projects, and economic development initiatives in hopes of enhancing business development and the attraction of new businesses to the community.

Capital spending for 2017 has been reduced by 3.7 million dollars, and the proposed tax hike for residents is minimal at 0.2%, also a reduction from a 2.96% planned increase. 

Residents can learn more at an upcoming open house and coffee with Council session on November 29th from 4:30-7:30 at Sugarbelle's.