Council Meeting Highlights - January 14, 2026

Committee of the Whole

Meeting Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026

In attendance:  Mayor Fule, Councillor Brown, Councillor Chisholm, Councillor Hyde, Councillor Langmaid, Councillor Wegener and Councillor Wiley

Council adopted the minutes from the June 11, 2025 Committee of the Whole.

BUSINESS

Offsite Levies for Soft Services

• Council identified the need to address the financial impact growth has on existing residents and businesses. The Municipal Government Act allows municipalities to charge offsite levies for new or expanded community facilities. Strathmore has not previously charged Soft Levies for development.
• What are “Soft Levies” and why consider them? These are the fees a municipality may charge developers to help fund "soft" community infrastructure, like recreation centers, fire stations, libraries, parks, and police services. These levies are not for operating/maintenance costs and must be held, tracked, and spent only on the specific infrastructure categories they are collected for.
• Council will discuss this tactic further, once their new Strategic Plan is in place.

2026 Supplementary Assessment Bylaw 26-03

• A municipality may pass a bylaw that allows it to assess improvements added to land after the December 31 condition date and collect property taxes on these improvements for a portion of the current tax year. Example, if a new home is constructed in Spring of 2026, the Town may assess and collect property taxes on those improvements for the remainder of the taxation year.
• Each year when a new supplementary assessment bylaw is passed the Town is required to repeal the previous year's supplementary assessment bylaw.
• This bylaw will be coming to Council on January 21, 2026.

2026 Operating Expenditures Line of Credit Borrowing Bylaw 26-01

• The proposed bylaw is intended to allow the Town to access a line of credit in the event that additional funds are needed prior to all property taxes being paid on July 1 of each year. The Town needs to ensure operations can continue and that staff, contractors, and supplies continue to be paid on time as per agreements.
• This bylaw will be coming to Council on January 21, 2026.

*Council Highlights provide a brief review of the information given and discussions had at Strathmore Town Council Meetings. Council Highlights are not presented as official minutes of the meeting and do not include items discussed in a closed meeting. Official meeting minutes can be accessed at the relevant date on the Council Calendar. 

Watch the full meeting here:

January 14, 2026 – Committee of the Whole

 Watch all past streams here:  https://www.youtube.com/@TOStrathmore/streams