Details of the town’s 2002 budget, including a proposed tax reduction for the local commercial sector, likely will be firmed up just in time for council’s next meeting Monday night.
“We essentially finished the work on [this past] Monday,” CAO Bill Naturkach said.
“But there was a direction from council to administration and finance to address commercial tax reduction. And we’re having a meeting about that [today],” he added.
Naturkach noted council wants to bring commercial tax rates in line with the provincial average. “By doing the phase-in, we’ll be at the provincial level within eight years,” he said.
Overall, Naturkach said, the budget likely will involve a 1.2 percent levy increase—with a two percent jump for residential ratepayers.
“We’ve asked [the finance committee] to look at if there’s a possibility we can put that on hold,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “But if it is two percent, at the most, it would mean 70 or 80 bucks for a piece of property without any change in assessment.
“It’s premature to say what will happen at this time.”
The committee has been holding weekly meetings to work through the budget, which Naturkach expects council to approve at Monday’s night’s meeting.
The budget will be discussed during the committee of the whole meeting (4-7 p.m.) before the regular council meeting, which starts at 7:10 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
