Duane Hicks
Town council has nearly wrapped up its work on the 2012 budget and it appears some residential taxpayers will see an increase of 2.49 percent.
That tax increase was about as low as council could go, Mayor Roy Avis said after yesterday’s budget meeting.
“Council took a look at it as best we could,” he noted.
“We’ve cut some certain items out, capital items we would have liked to have gone ahead with if we got some funding from the federal and provincial governments,” the mayor said.
“But that didn’t come through so we couldn’t hold the budget back anymore, and yes there’s a 2.49 percent increase,” he added.
Mayor Avis said the only major item in this year’s capital budget is the second phase of the reconstruction of Third Street East from Portage to Victoria.
He added the town has several “shelf-ready projects,” like the reconstruction of Scott Street from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East.
“But that relies on ‘Connecting Link’ funding, and the government of the day has balked with supporting ‘Connecting Link’ funding,” the mayor said.
“So that project cannot be started until we find some method of payment other than ourselves because it’s just too expensive if taxpayers of the community pick up that size of a project,” he stressed.
The levy changes will be as follows:
•Residential—2.49 percent;
•Multi-residential—2.69 percent;
•Commercial—1.02 percent;
•Industrial—1.1 percent;
•Large industrial—1.23 percent;
•Pipeline—2.165 percent; and
•Farmland—2.49 percent.
Most property owners’ assessment values have been going up in recent years, as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corp.
This means property owners in each of these classes will see an increase on their tax bills.
However, due to a decrease in the education tax rate, some property owners may see an increase in levy but a decrease in the amount of dollars paid.
For example, if a residential property owner’s assessment is staying the same this year as last year, their tax levy actually would drop $5.54 per $100,000 worth of assessment.
The new levies have been adjusted to generate $244,790 needed to balance the town’s 2012 operating budget.
The capital budget sits at $4,471,682.
The budget tentatively is up for final approval at the March 26 council meeting.
In related news, this year’s budget also includes a supplemental levy imposed by Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board.
The levy is to help pay for increased ambulance costs anticipated due to the possible closure of the Rainy River Health Centre’s emergency room because of a lack of doctors.
The town’s share of this levy is $82,863.83.
This extra levy is not being paid for through taxation, but instead will be covered through the town’s 2011 surplus.
