Medicine Hat city council meets today for capital budget deliberations

Council could end up discussing a pair of items that were left off the recommended budget presented by staff.

Funding for the HALO Air Ambulance and a utility subsidy that provided relief in 2023 were not recommended by staff but should council decide to put the items back in the budget, it could mean a property tax increase if nothing else is taken off.

The meeting tonight can be watched in-person at city hall or on the City of Medicine Hat’s YouTube channel.

Council will at its July 15 meeting make a final decision on what items to keep in the next two-year budget.

Among the 55 proposed “New Growth Opportunities” funded by the capital and operating budgets are $9.5 million for a food waste facility, $6.3 million for the twinning of a water line and $4.9 million for a Brier Park gravity bypass for the sewer system.

Other projects include $468,000 in capital funding for cyber security upgrades, $1.5 million for landfill upgrades and over $2.5 million for water main replacement and upgrades, among other capital and operating budget expenses.

The mix of capital and operating cash pays for large projects and programs the city aims to include in its 2025-2026 budget.

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat city council meets today for capital budget deliberations

Our Community