Town asking for budget help

Faced with a shrinking budget for 2003, Fort Frances town council either must increase residential taxes or look for ways to tighten its belt.
“One of the problems we have in this year’s budget is the escalation of Ontario directives to municipalities to [lower] commercial taxation and industrial taxation,” CAO Bill Naturkach noted Tuesday.
Last year, the town reduced commercial taxes in accordance with the provincial directive.
“We did that last year and it cost us $160,000. On top of that, now we have to reduce industrial taxes,” Naturkach said, adding the estimate for this year’s loss hasn’t been tabulated yet.
Lowering taxes has meant some tough decisions for council as it prepares the 2003 budget.
“With these six-digit figures, it has hurt us, there’s no question,” Naturkach admitted. “We’re faced with either increasing the taxes we can increase, i.e. residential, or reducing expenditures.
“We’re asking the community to make suggestions to us.”
Naturkach said council wants people to come forward with possible ideas for reducing expenditures. “We’re looking for ways to spend less and we’re asking everyone, both internally and the public, for ideas,” he noted.
At the initial budget consultation meeting last week at the Civic Centre, only four people came forward with suggestions—and none offered ways to help cut costs.
Naturkach urged people to present their ideas by attending a council meeting, calling the Civic Centre, writing a brief letter, or even approaching town workers on the street.