As with most years, the Village of Hussar looks to maintain a balance keeping costs down for residents while also maintaining services.
As we look back on 2023 Mayor Les Schultz, Deputy Mayor Coralee Schindel, and Councillor Tim Frank reflect on the year behind us.
The village council held a public meeting to gather input from the community to help shape the 2023 budget. Following the public consultation, the council passed the 2023 budget in May and were able to reduce residential taxes slightly.
In late spring, the Village along with the Hussar Fine Arts Society began the construction of our new Celebration Gazebo. We held the grand opening on September 24, 2023. There was music, entertainment and food. We thank the Government of Canada for funding this Celebration Gazebo. It was built in commemoration of the history of the Village of Hussar in Canada and to support the revival of local economies through in-person events. It will stand as a reminder to our residents of the remarkable community and country we live in.
In June 2023 the Village SummerDaze committee was able to host its annual SummerDaze event; the event was a great success with the annual slow-pitch tournament being held, with music, entertainment, and dancing. This event is a great success every year.
We began the upgrade of water and sewer infrastructure on 1 Avenue West between Centre Street and 1 Street in July of 2023. The project was completed by September 2023, which was about a month over our quoted time but did manage to come in under budget.
Village council and administration passed our Urban Hen and Quail bylaw March 9, 2023. To date, we have not yet received any applications, but we have had some interest shown.
The ninth annual Light Up the Night event was held on December 3, 2023. The campsites and trees at the campground are decorated in honour of loved ones who have passed. Funds raised from this event help support the Hussar Crisis Fund.
As we look ahead towards 2024 we welcome the new challenges and celebrations that the new year will bring to our Village.