Ever wondered how Raymond compares to another community in southern Alberta in terms of operating costs, salaries, debt, tax rates and growth? The Town is pleased to provide the 2020 Comparative Analysis to help provide an “apples to apples” comparison for the public to gauge our performance relative to our peers. None of these statistics provide 100% clarity on any particular issue and shouldn’t be interpreted that way.
To simplify its approach, and in order to avoid being seen as “cherry-picking” statistics that happen to reflect favourably on the Town in a given year, the Town will be conducting this comparative exercise every year, and also for the Town to remain as consistent as possible in terms of what metrics are considered on a year-over-year basis. This report will compare the following five benchmarks:
- Revenues & Expenditures
- Salaries & Wages
- Long-term Debt
- Tax Rates
- 5-Year Assessment Growth Trend
What Municipalities is the Town Comparing itself Against?
For the purposes of this report, the Town will compare itself against the following communities:
- Cardston
- Coaldale
- Claresholm
- Lethbridge
- Magrath
- Taber
These urban municipalities were chosen due to their proximity to Raymond, population or competing markets for growth.
Since 2006, successive Councils have shared the vision of growing Raymond’s assessment base by investing in amenities and services that attract young families to our community. Our overall assessment base has more than tripled in the intervening 14 years and we have welcomed over 1,000 new residents to our community. This strategy is working and will continue to have a positive impact on our community for decades to come.
With each election comes an opportunity for the new Council to re-evaluate the direction the Town is heading. We would like to thank those who have put their names forward to make a difference in our community. With 2 candidates vying for Mayor, and 14 candidates competing for 6 Council positions, the health of our local democracy is not in question. Administration is looking forward to working with whomever is elected to achieve their collective vision for Raymond. We are confident that our future will be in good hands with our new Council during their 2021-2024 Council Term.
Please make voting a priority on October 18, 2021. Your voice matters!