Residential taxpayers in Fort Frances will be seeing a net tax increase of 11.7 percent after town council passed the 2004 budget in principle at last night’s meeting.
In a 4-2 vote, council favoured of tax hike of 14.67 percent for residential, multi-residential, pipeline, and farmland properties, with a hike of 1.9 percent for commercial and 7.33 for industrial.
But after education taxes are factored in, the tax increase for residents is actually 11.7 percent over last year.
Mayor Dan Onichuk, and Couns. Tannis Drysdale, Todd Hamilton, and Struchan Gilson voted in favour of this increase while Couns. Roy Avis and Neil Kabel were opposed.
As previously reported, the second alternative council was considering would have seen an increase of 15.8 percent for residential, multi-residential, pipeline, and farmland properties, a 7.7 percent hike for industrial, and no tax increase for commercial.
Mayor Onichuk noted last night the end result was a far cry from the 67.5 percent bandied about months ago, and that council and management “have come a long way” in getting the 2004 budget completed.
“An 11.7 percent increase is a bit taxing on people, no pun intended, but we’re not going to be coming back looking for a 10 or 11 percent increase next year unless some catastrophic thing happens in the Town of Fort Frances,” said Mayor Onichuk.
“We need to move ahead. I think council agrees the process doesn’t end here,” he stressed. “We have dates set with [the Ministry of] Municipal Affairs to set a strategic plan.”
The mayor noted council and management will have to continue to look to “streamline” operations and make efficiencies where they can, particularly for the purposes of building up reserves to use for capital projects.
“There’s a lot of work to be done out there, capital-wise,” he remarked, adding road repairs were a chief concern.
“I think the council and administration and management have done a lot of work. And I appreciate it,” he added.
The budget is to be passed as a bylaw at council’s May 10 meeting.
Meanwhile, the Town of Fort Frances will be getting its final share of disaster relief funding after council amended an agreement with the province last night.
The town previously had received interim Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) funding in the amount of $226,160 since the fall of 2002.
Once amended, the agreement will see the ministry pay the town a final payment of $112,463.45 (for a total of $338,623.45).
This money is to be used to repair infrastructure damaged in the extensive flooding in June, 2002.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•heard a verbal police services activity report from OPP S/Sgt. High Dennis for the first quarter of 2004;
•received a letter from Linda Wall, chairperson of the Fort Frances Children’s Complex Advisory Committee, regarding child care issues and referred it to the Community Services executive committee for a response;
•agreed to a request from Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. to proclaim May 10-16, 2004 as “National Nurses Week” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•agreed to a request from the Ontario Family Fishing Weekend steering committee to proclaim July 9-11 as 2004 Ontario Family Fishing Weekend in the Town of Fort Frances; and
•referred a request for support of a resolution from the Township of North Shore to create a town youth participation strategy to the Community Services executive committee for a recommendation.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
