Budget up for vote tonight

Property owners in all classes will see a tax increase this year if town council approves the 2007 budget at its regular meeting tonight.
Details of the budget will be outlined during a public meeting at the Civic Centre, which will take place prior to council voting.
As previously reported, the budget includes proposed tax hikes across the board.
If passed, the residential class will see a levy hike of 2.54 percent, which equals a total increase of $44.51 per $100,000 of assessment on that property.
Multi-residential stands to see a hike of 2.79 percent ($109.47 per $100,000 of assessment) while commercial taxes will go up 0.83 percent ($46.55 per $100,000).
The industrial levy will increase 1.09 percent ($52.55 per $100,000) while large industrial will go up 1.09 percent ($95.83 per $100,000).
And the pipeline property class tax rate will jump by 1.91 percent, or $112.26 per $100,000 of assessment.
Information Technology manager Darryl Allan will give a Power Point presentation, explaining what the taxes pay for as well as some highlights of the budget.
Council then will vote whether to adopt the 2007 budget.
The public is invited to attend this meeting to make written or oral presentations either in support of or against the budget proposal.
Clerk Glenn Treftlin said late Friday that no one has contacted him yet on making a presentation regarding the budget this evening.
Tonight’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m. It will be preceded by the committee of the whole, which will meet at 5:30 but be in-camera until 6:20.
Other business at tonight’s meeting will include:
•a police services activity report from OPP detachment commander Insp. Dave Lucas;
•a break-open ticket licence application from the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau at the Makabi Inn Motel from May 1, 2007-April 30, 2008;
•a break-open ticket licence application from Friends of Little League at Sparky’s Confectionery from April 24, 2007-Oct. 23, 2007;
•a request from the Salvation Army to proclaim May as “Salvation Army Red Shield Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a financial request from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce regarding the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce (NOACC) annual fall general meeting on Sept. 27-29;
•a request from the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario to proclaim June as “Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a bylaw to establish a restructured committee of adjustment;
•a bylaw to adopt the estimates of all sums required for all municipal purposes during the year 2007; and
•a bylaw to designate Lots 22 and 23, Plan SM-69 (902 Crowe Ave.)