Town of Slave Lake council held a special meeting on April 28 to map out the town’s financial future. In just under 40 minutes, elected officials unanimously passed the town’s budgets, tax rates, and a new four-year strategic plan. Residents can attend regular council meetings in person at council chambers or watch the broadcasts online on the town’s YouTube channel.

Operating budget brings a 6.5 per cent tax increase

The operating budget pays for the day-to-day running of the municipality, from staff wages to keeping the lights on. This year, council approved a budget that requires collecting an extra $646,068 in municipal property taxes, resulting in a 6.5 per cent tax increase for property owners.

Chief Financial Officer Roland Schmidt presented the budget to council. He and Mayor Francesca Ward both emphasized that the town actually has very little choice regarding most of these rising costs.

Rather than spending money on new projects, $383,000 of the increase is going toward mandatory bills. For example, the town’s insurance premiums jumped by $30,000. Contract payments to the Legacy Centre and the FireSmart program each went up by $25,000. The town also has to pay more for its staff because the federal government increased Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance rates, and national employee benefit plans have risen by seven to eight per cent across the country.

“They are the cost of being an employer in Canada right now,” Ward said. “We don’t set those rates, but we are responsible for paying that.”

Another massive cost is the RCMP. The town will spend about $2.8 million to cover policing this year. That takes up more than a quarter of the town’s $10-million core operating budget. Over the last 10 years, that policing bill has increased by $1 million.

The budget also sets aside $80,000 to pay for a full seven-member council, replacing a seat that was left empty last year. Another $220,000 will be used to make sure the Multi Rec Centre and the local pool have enough staff to stay open on holidays and days when residents have time off.

Savings will pay for record snow cleanup

There is some good news for taxpayers regarding the massive snowstorms that hit the region this spring. The town will not use the 2026 tax increase to pay for that cleanup.

Instead, the town needs $50,000 to cover the extra plowing costs and to put money back into its depleted snow reserve account. Administration confirmed this $50,000 will be taken directly from unrestricted surplus funds—which is money the town managed to save from previous years.

The town also secured a $520,000 grant from the Alberta government for a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) program. This money fully pays for four new crew members at the fire hall to help protect the town from wildfires, meaning there is no extra cost to local taxpayers.

Mill rates and provincial school taxes

After passing the budget, council unanimously approved the 2026 Mill Rate Bylaw. A mill rate is the mathematical formula used to calculate exactly how much property tax a home or business owner must pay based on the assessed value of their property.

The residential mill rate will rise from 9.0301 to 9.3554. The non-residential rate, which applies to businesses and industry, will climb from 13.3838 to 13.8659.

However, the municipal tax is only one part of a property owner’s bill. Ratepayers will also see an 8.41 per cent jump in the provincial school requisition. The Town of Slave Lake does not keep this money; it is legally forced to collect this education tax and send it to the Alberta government. This jump will add an extra $236,000 burden onto local taxpayers this year.

$16.1-million capital budget focuses on repairs

While the operating budget covers daily expenses, the capital budget pays for large, long-term infrastructure projects like roads, pipes, and buildings. This year, council approved a $16.1-million capital budget that completely avoids flashy mega-projects. Instead, the money will be spent on fixing what is already broken.
“We are not building for headlines,” Ward said. “We’re building for reliability. We need roads that work, water that runs, and a town that functions the way it’s supposed to.”

To fix deteriorating roads, the town is introducing a new $1-million “street overlay” program. This means crews will proactively scrape away damaged top layers of asphalt and lay down a fresh surface, starting on Caribou Trail. This is meant to save the roads before they need to be completely ripped up and rebuilt from scratch. Other major infrastructure repairs include $1.8 million to rehabilitate 5th Street NW and $3 million to replace Lift Station D, a vital part of the wastewater system that has outlived its expected lifespan.

For emergency services, a brand new fire engine is expected to arrive within the next month. The budget also carries forward $3.1 million from last year to eventually buy a new fire ladder truck in 2028.

The town is also spending $150,000 to fix sidewalks, $100,000 for bridge repairs, and $250,000 to completely resurface the pool basin at the Northern Lakes College aquatic centre to stop leaks.

A new four-year strategic plan

Finally, council adopted the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. Town administration hired an outside consultant and spent months working with council to create this document.

It will act as a roadmap for the rest of the council’s term, guiding all future decisions and spending. The plan focuses on three main priorities:

Core Service Delivery: Ensuring everyday services like water and garbage are efficient and reliable.
Community Well-being and Quality of Life: Making the town safe, welcoming, and active.

Infrastructure and Asset Management: Taking care of the town’s existing roads, pipes, and buildings.

Schmidt noted during his presentation that the administration had already used this new strategic plan to help decide what to fund in the 2026 budgets.
Mayor Ward and councillors Lynn Bowes, Shawn Gramlich, Craig Hudson, Kimberly Hughes, and Cindy Williams all attended the meeting in person. Councillor Andrew Achoba attended virtually via Zoom.

Next Town Council meeting

While the exact date for the next meeting was not immediately announced, regular council meetings are typically held on the second and third Tuesday of the month.

Armaan Khanna
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter