Duane Hicks
As town council continues to work through its 2011 budget, it currently is looking at a 3.9 percent levy increase for the residential class.
This equals to a net tax dollar increase of $20.90 per $100,000 of assessment (although this increase can vary between properties if that property’s assessment has gone up or down).
However, this levy increase is not final as council will continue to work on the budget at its next meeting April 4 at 4 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
During yesterday’s budget meeting, council reduced its capital budget, cutting out the following expenditures:
•a rescue unit ($88,000);
•specialized rescue equipment ($15,300);
•a sand/salt storage shed ($528,278); and
•the reconstruction of Scott Street from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East ($1.9 million).
These items could come back later this year as non-budgeted capital expenditures, however, if certain funding comes through for each of them.
As well, council was updated on its operating budget, which has been reduced by $65,977 (from $21,445,371 to $2.379,340) since the March 7 budget meeting.
This is as a result of:
•a reduction of $20,770 due to realignment of staff at the Memorial Sports Centre;
•a reduction of $16,500 in revenue due to the anticipated reduction of community fire protection contracts;
•a reduction in fire department administration in the amount of $111,865 to reflect the current complement of employees (i.e., seven firefighters and one fire chief, as opposed to eight firefighters and one chief); and
•an increase of $50,158 in the estimated OPP contract for policing.
The operating budget is expected to be further adjusted by the April 4 meeting, including $20,000 to do energy audits that will enable the town to apply for grants for retrofits.
Meanwhile, mayor and council have been asked to come to that meeting with their expectations as to what is an acceptable tax increase.
In related news, council did not receive a presentation from Solar Logix Inc. regarding solar panels at yesterday’s meeting due to a last-minute cancellation.
