As part of their yearly budget talks, Turner Valley Council wants to get feedback from the public on where they want to see money spent.

Mayor Barry Crane says they'll host a couple of events to gather everyone's two cents.

"We'll have a public phase of participation, where we'll ask for what level of service residents require. What they believe they can live with or without and Council will make some hard choices to feather that number down as much as possible and lessen any increase to taxes if we can."

Crane says the Town has had three years of zero increase budgets, but is confident they'll have to go up at least a bit this year.

He's sure not everyone will be in agreement with that.

"You are never going to make everyone happy in municipal politics is how I look at it. The best we can do is take as much information as we can gather. And we have to remember that when we make decisions as a council, it is for the betterment of the community, not just for the long term, but the immediate term as well."

Crane reminds residents a big part of budget planning is looking at the long game.

"It's the long term that has to be the final balance. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure in municipal politics. And that's the lens you have to look through when you're in this position. So, we might see an increase. But that might have a direct positive result, either now or in the future."

He says they'll hammer out the details of the when's and where's for the feedback sessions at their next council meeting scheduled for Monday, October 5.

 

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