Council calls on public for budget input

Wellington North residents will have an opportunity to preview and comment on the township’s upcoming budget.

Council will host a public meeting on March 5 at 7pm in the council chambers here to allow the public to see and discuss the 2013 budget before final approval.

Finance chair councillor Andy Lennox said the township is looking at a four per cent increase. He expects the final budget increase will be reduced slightly when the county and education portion of the tax bill are factored in. Wellington County council recently approved at 2.4% increase for the $78 million it will raise from taxes.

Lennox said the final increase could come in around 3 to 3.5%. Township council had requested its departments not exceed 2% increases in operating budgets.

“We didn’t quite hit the target on reductions,” Lennox said of department budgets overall.