Pipestone Flyer
Leduc is one step closer to a new fire hall after City council approved a plan to borrow up to $6.3 million from the Alberta Capital Finance Authority at its April 14 council meeting.
According to their mission, ACFA provides local authorities within the province with flexible funding for capital projects at the lowest possible costs.
The project is expected to cost $7.7 million with a portion of it being funding through provincial grants. The project was included in the City’s 10-year Capital Plan using a multi-year mill rate strategy, said General Manager of Corporate Services, Irene Sasyniuk.
During the 2013 budget deliberations, council approved the multi-year mill rate strategy to specifically fund Protective Services, and implemented a two per cent dedicated tax levy over four years.
Request for tenders went out April 15 and construction on the new fire hall is expected to start in May to be completed in mid to late 2015.
“This is a pretty major construction project,” said Concillor Dave Mackenzie. “It’s not cheap, but I can’t think of one person who doesn’t think we need this.”
In addition to building the new west end fire hall, funding from that levy will be used to enhance fire services staffing levels, as well as paying for one new RCMP officer and one new RCMP support staff.
“The funding is in the budget to meet these needs,” said Sasyniuk.
The plan is to pay for the project over 20 years by making semi-annual payments at an interest rate not to exceed five per cent. In 2013, 2.5 per cent was levied and will be followed by three per cent in 2014, four per cent in 2015 and four per cent in 2016.