Medicine Hat Minute: Tax Hike, Bridge Deck, and Skateboarders Help Out

Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• City Hall is set to get down to business with two meetings scheduled for this week, starting with a meeting of the Public Services Committee today at 8:00 am. At this meeting, Council will amend the Micro Transportation bylaw which will expand the designated areas for e-scooters from municipal roads to bicycle lanes and paved pathways. Finally, Council will receive the Managing Director’s Service Area Update, regarding a transit funding announcement, the 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and an update on the Moose Recreation Centre.
  
  
• On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the Council Employee Committee at 1:30 pm. At this meeting, the Committee will receive a verbal update on the Employee Engagement Survey, an update on the recruitment of two positions in the Mayor’s office, and an update on the City Manager Performance Evaluation Framework. Finally, the Committee will go in-camera in order to discuss several items privately.
  
  
• Despite last week's wacky weather, the snow is behind us (hopefully!) and the City is looking to get out and remove what remains of winter’s remnants. The spring clean-up season officially begins today, and with it begins the City’s street-sweeping program. City crews are already removing debris from school zones and will now move into residential areas, so keep your eyes peeled for those street sweeping signs to avoid getting a ticket. If you’re not sure when City crews will be in your area, make sure to check out a zoning map on the City of Medicine Hat’s website.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• City Council unanimously voted to impose a property tax hike for 2022. The increase will amount to $107 per year or $8.92 a month on the median home, which is assessed at $289,100. The tax increase will apply to single-family, multi-family, and non-residential properties. While the assessment value of residential properties increased, the median non-residential assessment was 0%. Some Councillors expressed concern that businesses would shoulder a higher tax burden without seeing valuations go up, but ultimately voted for the increase anyway.
  
  
• Two years after the Trans-Canada Bridge deck replacement was announced as a COVID-19 stimulus measure, it was announced that the project may finally go to tender this fall. Once completed, the project will see the bridge's eastbound lanes resurfaced. While initially included in a package of infrastructure projects intended to boost economic activity at the beginning of the pandemic, we suppose it’s better late than never to get started on it - if in fact that actually happens.
  
  
• The Medicine Hat Skateboard Association helped clean up the city, starting off at Inland Skate Park and picking up litter throughout the area. Approximately 20 youth took part and the cleanup is just one of the ways the Skateboard Association members volunteer their time throughout the year.

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