Town Council passes first reading of Community Services Fee Bylaw

By Justin Seward
Commentator/Courier

Town of Bow Island council passed the first reading of the Community Services Fee Bylaw at its last council meeting of 2019 on Dec. 9.
“As far as all of our utility fees go, we offer water, garbage, sewer,” said Dave Matz, Town of Bow Island chief administrative officer.
Matz says among the changes include the Highway 3 Water Commission increasing their rates to the town from $1.87 per cubic metre to $1.95.
Under the cemeteries category, selling a grave saw an increase to $350 and opening and closing a plot was increased to $500 to keep pace with other communities and what they’re charging, added Matz.
He says the town is below what other communities charge.

Police funding model

The provincial government rolled out a Police Funding Model that will increase costs to affected municipalities for increases to policing. Justice Minister Dough Schweitzer recently announced there would be an additional 500 RCMP positions which would see 300 officers and 200 civilian support staff at a total cost of $286 million.
That cost will be increasingly applied to rural municipalities.
The affected municipalities will pay 10 per cent in the first year, 15 per cent in 2021, 20 per cent in 2022 and 30 per cent by 2023
Bow Island will pay $37,693 in year one, $56,581 in year two, $75,387, $113, 161 in year three and the same in the last year.

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