Duane Hicks
Tax bills will be going out in the mail next month as town council will vote tonight to adopt the 2012 budget.
While the budget, which is balanced at $21,640,492, was presented to the public at the end of March, council has had to wait to finalize it, town treasurer Laurie Witherspoon explained.
She said the town had been waiting for education tax rates from the province, which could have affected budget revenues and expenditures.
“There were a few municipalities where their education rates changed, but we were not one of them,” Witherspoon added.
The town also had to compile an Ontario Regulation 284/09 Budget Matters report and submit it to the province.
As previously reported, the budget includes a residential tax levy increase of 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 many 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, a total of 2,835 residential property owners will see their tax bill go up an average of $53 while 247 will see their tax bill go down by $5.
If council passes the budget tonight, as expected, tax bills will be sent out towards the end of June.
The first instalment of taxes will be due on July 31, with the second instalment due Aug. 31.
A copy of the 2012 budget presentation is available online at fort-frances.com
The public portion of tonight’s committee of the whole meeting is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.
The council meeting will follow at 6:45 p.m.
Other business on the agenda includes reports re:
•a request by Bell Mobility to rent space on the water tower to install antennae;
•Tender No. 12-OF-04 (supply of one half-ton, two-wheeled drive four-door truck);
•the 2011 Strategic Plan Item No. 29 (Parks operational review);
•Townshend Theatre stage floor replacement and user surtax;
•a Rainy River Vet Services Committee financial request;
•an “It’s EH Celebration” planning committee financial request;
•the Rainy River District Municipal Association photocopy rate;
•Civic Centre roof retrofit;
•a proposal for development on Frog Creek Road; and
•the tourist information centre.
Also on the agenda will be:
•NOMA conference travel and per diem claims for Mayor Roy Avis and Couns. John Albanese, Andrew Hallikas, Ken Perry, Paul Ryan, and Rick Wiedenhoeft;
•a per diem claim for Coun. Sharon Tibbs;
•a public meeting re: 357/358 applications for tax adjustment re: 1118 First St. E. (2011);
•a verbal update from Mayor Avis re: the recent NOMA conference;
•a request from F. Sheppard, Fire Chief/CEMC, to proclaim May 6-12 as “Emergency Preparedness Week” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a request from the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario (SB&H) re: proclaiming June, 2012 as “Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a financial request from the Mayors Coalition Steering Committee re: Mayors Coalition for Affordable Sustainable Accountable Policing Initiative;
•an invitation from “The Respect—It Lives Here” work group re: hate crimes workshop on May 28;
•a request to make presentations to council from the recently-formed local group, Seniors Retirees Against Pension and Elder Abuse (SRPEA); and
•an invitation from Rainy River First Nations re: its 42nd-annual fish fry on May 18.
