Cold Lake, AB – Cold Lake City Council passed its 2025 Capital and Operating Budgets on Tuesday, as council continues to grapple with increasing costs while trying to pass as little of the inflationary pressure on to taxpayers.

The budgets were passed with a total of just under $73.4 million in expenditures. The 2025 Operating Budget was passed at just over $59 million, inclusive of a transfer to the capital budget of $6.6 million. The Capital Budget includes just over $14.4 million in funding. A forecasted average 4.39 per cent increase in property taxes is expected to balance the budget. Property taxes are levied proportionate to the assessment of property in the community. An individual property’s municipal taxes may increase or decrease at a different rate, depending on each property’s assessment increase or decrease relative to other properties.

“Council wanted to respect that inflation has hit everyone’s budgets and there is a general feeling that household spending is tightening,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “Once again, we’ve held the line on services with a few small additions.”

The 2025 budget also reflects large increases in the cost of insurance premiums, utilities, and fuel. The increase in policing has also risen sharply since the city crossed the threshold of a population of 15,000. The City of Cold Lake must now pay for 90 per cent of its RCMP policing costs and 100 per cent of fleet, equipment, and operational supplies.

At the same time, council decided to provide ongoing funding for the Commercial Security Program, which began as a pilot project in a partnership with the Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce and has grown into a dedicated program to assist with an increase in vagrancy and petty crime. Council also voted to increase the budgets to Aqua Days and Canada Day by $12,500 each to continue to provide exceptional public celebrations in the face of increasing costs. The Community Capital Grant Program saw an increase of $50,000 to support local organizations in their projects.

“The cost of hosting events and providing for public safety is increasing and beginning to place pressure on how the city handles some of its business,” Copeland said. “We’ve adjusted where we can to support important community events, celebrations, and our local non-profits, but we can only relieve so much pressure.”

Overall, the City of Cold Lake operating budget increased from $58,011,249 to $59,038,035 (1.77% or $1,026,786) between 2024 and 2025. A few of the standout budget items include increases of:

• $515,000 RCMP contract policing costs
• $228,500 power and natural gas for facilities
• $190,000 for the Commercial Security Contract that was developed in partnership with Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce
• $30,000 fleet fuel costs
• $25,000 in insurance
• $14,000 in for Library and Museum Boards
• $50,000 in community capital grant funding

The Capital Budget will see the green light been given for the expansion of the CL Medical Clinic, with anticipated construction costs of $4 million, as well as an additional approximate $2 million for the Public Works Operation Centre to bring its total of funding to approximately $31.5 million with a total anticipated construction cost of $37 million.

The budget has also funded an expansion of kayak storage at the marina, maintenance and refurbishment of several city facilities, including a $600,000 Ice Plant Cooling Tower and front desk renovations, Imperial Oil Arena glass replacement, Cenovus Wellness Centre renovations, and updates to mechanical equipment in some of the original areas of the Energy Centre. A new park and playground will also be constructed in the Lake Ridge Development area.

The 2025 Capital Budget includes spending across a variety of initiatives, equipment replacement programs and departments, including:

• Fleet and Equipment Infrastructure $1,247,000
• Environmental/Utility Infrastructure Improvements $300,000
• Roadway Infrastructure Improvements $5,050,000
• Facilities Infrastructure $7,316,000
• IST Infrastructure $35,000
• Recreation Infrastructure $460,000

A full breakdown of projects in the 2025 Capital Budget can be found on the City’s website at www.coldlake.com/budgets. Further details about major capital projects and their progress can be found at www.coldalke.com/projects.