LUDs 2024 budgets focus on beautifying capital projects

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This article was published 10/04/2024 (422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The LUDs of Grunthal and Blumenort have released their 2024 budgets, which show money going towards paving, sidewalks, and welcome signs. Although there are a number of projects, the LUDs will not be raising the mill rates.

LUD of Grunthal

Grunthal is reporting an expenditure budget of $382,391 with the mill rate remaining the same at five mills.

“We feel that with the projects we have lined up for this year that we don’t need to increase the mill rate,” said chair Anita Funk.

Projects slated for 2024 are paving Birch Street from Froese Road to Pine Street, purchase “Welcome to Grunthal” community signs for the east and west entrances to the community, purchasing new Christmas lights for Main Street, and hiring an engineering firm to study Spruce Street to provide a long-term solution for drainage of the road. The total for all the projects is $147,600.

“There’s drainage issues there every spring and I understand that previous LUD committees have tried to address it, but it hasn’t adequately addressed the issue. We’re going to have a study done to see what really needs to happen,” said Funk.

The LUD has $279,581 in its reserve and plans to transfer an additional $16,000 into the reserve this year for a total of $296,170.

The LUD will have its AGM on May 1 at 7 p.m. at the New Horizon Centre.

LUD of Blumenort

Blumenort will not change it’s mill rate this year keeping it the same as last at 4.255 mills.

“We knew that there were a lot of expenses coming down for residents and we wanted to try and keep it the same,” said chair Kevin Medeiros.

The LUD has an expenditure budget of $522,217 which will go towards five capital projects totaling $174,000: updating the community welcome sign on the east side ($90,000); three sidewalk projects ($40,000); and redoing the pathway on Oakdale (about $60,000).

The LUD reserve fund will receive a $26,000 this year making the total $464,348.

“(Blumenort is) very much so (a growing community). The growth that has happened in the last three years has been incredible. The development south of town it feels – with all the side-by-sides and apartments – it feels like it’s almost doubled its population just by that subdivision,” said Medeiros.

The LUD will hold its AGM on April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Blumenort Fire Hall.