On December 14th Leduc City Council approved the 2010 budget, in principle. The budget comes along with a 3.17% tax increase. Some of the the highlights include:

- The establishment of a Public Transit Reserve and a Safe Communities Initiatives Reserve. Yes, the introduction of photo radar has increased revenues, for the time being. The additional revenue has gone into The Safe Communities Reserve and will be used to make the City of Leduc safer. I think it's wise that the City does not put this money in general revenues, as I hope the fund decreases over time.

-  Health Life Initiatives. A partnership has been established with Black Gold School Division and the University of Alberta under the name of Healthy Hearts. The purpose of this program is to provide health assessments, advice specific to improving health, and a subsidies to low income families to access recreational opportunities.

-Environmental Initiatives. The City will be recruiting a Municipal Sustainability Coordinator. This position will assist in making sure that sustainability is incorporated in our MDP (Municipal Development Plan) as well as our Downtown Plan. Furthermore, this position will develop a Municipal Sustainability Plan.

These are just a few of the highlights in the budget. You can checkout the City's website for more information.