Funding Sources

CORPORATE SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Corporate Services Department supports the entire organization, assisting both internal and external customers, as it is home to the Finance, Administration, Property Assessment, Property Tax, Information Technology (IT), and Human Resources (HR) departments.

ADMINISTRATION

The Administration team is responsible for handling all external customer relations, including answering phones and assisting the public with any inquiries. The team also provides internal services such as mail distribution and coordinating office supplies for the entire organization.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENT & PROPERTY TAXATION

Assessors determine the property values for residential, farmland, commercial and industrial properties, and coordinate the receipt of assessment values for linear and designated industrial properties from the province. The Property Tax team is responsible for drafting the Property Tax Rate Bylaw for Council consideration, preparing and mailing the property tax and assessment notices, applying the provincially legislated property tax recovery processes, and responding to property tax inquiries. Property assessment and taxation revenue funds most municipal services and supports the funding of public education.

FINANCE

The Finance Department is responsible for the management of the municipality’s financial affairs, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, financial reporting, and treasury management.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT creates and maintains an enterprise-level environment that provides IT services and solutions through innovation and growth for staff and residents. This department manages all computer software and hardware, telephone services, and secure access to all buildings. It also provides technical services to neighbouring municipalities and the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre.

HUMAN RESOURCES

HR is responsible for all employment-related issues, the administration of the employee benefits programs, and payroll.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN

In May 2021, the M.D. amalgamated the lands formerly known as ID 349 into its borders. As part of the annexation agreement, the M.D. is responsible for dispersing the tax collected from the lands to our urban neighbours, as per the agreement reached with the Province of Alberta.

The Finance Department celebrated winning the Distinguished Budget Award for the 2021 Budget and Business Plan and an award for Financial Reporting for the 2020 Annual Report. The Finance Department, in conjunction with all the other departments in the M.D., created a Master Rates and Fees Bylaw, which gives residents and staff one central document to find all the information they need about fees and rates in the M.D.

Human Resources created two new handbooks — one for fulltime staff and one for seasonal staff, which centralizes all internal policies and procedures.

WHERE WE ARE NOW

Looking forward in 2022, The IT Department is spearheading a two-year project to implement an electronic records management environment for the organization. On the Finance side, new budgeting software will be coming online for 2023 budget planning. M.D. Assessors will be out inspecting residential properties in Range 4 this summer.

This year saw Council approve an increase in the Residential mill rate. This was in response to a requirement by Alberta Municipal Affairs to have a 5:1 tax ratio (where the highest non-residential municipal tax rate could not be more than five times greater than the residential municipal tax rate), as per the Municipal Government Act.

So far in 2022, Payroll and IT worked together to update the M.D.’s payroll system, making the process more efficient not only for the Payroll Department, but also for staff. With updates coming to the Shaw House at Vezeau Beach, the Bonnyville Visitor Information Centre (VIC) has temporarily been relocated to the front lobby of the M.D.’s Main Administration Building, with our Administration team offering VIC services.

WHERE WE’RE GOING

In the continuing trend to make processes more efficient within the M.D. organization, new software for financial reporting will enable the M.D. to create and present financial statements in a consistent manner, allowing the Finance Department to match the reporting structure of the M.D.’s external auditors.

Corporate Services will complete a long-term financial planning and a long-term tax strategy.