Central Alberta Online/Emily Rogers.
It was business as usual for the City of Lacombe in 2024.
Throughout the year, the city continued to make progress in completing capital projects, maneuvering through economic challenges, and fostering community-wide collaborations.
“It truly is government by the people, for the people,” Grant Creasey, Lacombe Mayor said. “We do the best we can and try to make the best decisions we can with the information we have, while utilizing the resources at our disposal as efficiently as possible.”
Matthew Goudy, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the City of Lacombe added that Lacombe continues to have a close-knit sense of community.
“Lacombe is lucky to have a lot of people who work and live here who care about the community,” he said. “That's an important connection to keep.”
Mitigating economic challenges
In 2024, Lacombe City Council worked to ensure residents didn’t see a drastic swing in property taxes as a result of inflation rates.
The approved 2025 budget included a 2.86% tax rate increase.
The total Operating Budget for the city was set at $49.4 million, while the Capital Budget was set at $10.7 million.
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“The unfortunate reality is with inflation, we're not immune at the city level and those costs go up as well, but we have increased the level of service in some areas,” Creasey said. “We have a decent approach of keeping taxes in line, being realistic with their use, and not having these huge swings.”
Addressing the misconceptions
Throughout 2024, a common concern the City of Lacombe received from residents was the cost of city-supplied utilities.
“There's no denying that it is a significant cost to keep the municipality operational,” Creasey said.
He explained that based on the complaints received, there is a misconception that water, wastewater, and waste collection services are a profit-driven entity.
“They are not profit-making outlets for the city, they are cost recover only,” Creasey said. “To suggest that those decisions are made, that people are being charged more than they need to be is very unreasonable.”
To address concerns, it’s important for city administration and council to be accessible and continue to engage with residents daily.
“It's an awful lot and we follow a lot of those misconceptions as they come along, but it's an ongoing battle,” Creasey said.
Reflecting on the successes of 2024
Last year, the City of Lacombe opened a new $10.8 million Operations Parks and Recreation Building in the Len Thompson Industrial Park.
“It's an investment in our personnel. My colleagues are the core of services that we provide, they truly are the reason why we exist,” Creasey said.
In 2024, the first city-owned inclusive playground opened in Trinity Crossing.
The playground features a Miracle Recreation Kids Choice Inclusive Structure, wheelchair ramps, accessible moving components, and free-standing sensory elements.
The project cost approximately $400,000.
“It offers so much more and meets the needs of children that weren't as well suited for other playgrounds,” Creasey said.
The playground has been very well received by the community and is getting busier as the city grows.
“It really is a worthwhile addition to our community,” Creasey said.
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- Inclusive playground opens in Lacombe
- Lacombe officially opens new $10.8 million Operations Facility
The city also completed the social master plan and updated the recreation master plan, leading to potential collaborations with surrounding municipalities.
“There's a lot of highlights. Business occurred, work was done, and the city did what people expected it to do,” Goudy said.
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Throughout 2024, the city prioritized interdepartmental collaboration to complete underground infrastructure, roads, and road maintenance projects.
“There will always be those anomalies and situations that arise, but we have a far different approach now in the way that those are handled, and try do it as a group effort,” Creasey said.
Things to look forward to in 2025
There are many new projects that are already underway for this year.
The city is looking forward to continuing work on finalizing plans for the new fire detachment and purchasing new fire equipment that is expected to arrive in 2026.
Related stories:
- Potential location selected for new Lacombe fire station
- Lacombe city council approves budget for fire truck replacement
- Lacombe council approves Downtown Pedestrian Plaza plan
Another large-scale project in the works is the redevelopment of 49C Avenue into a Downtown Pedestrian Plaza.
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