County taxpayers will see a 2.4 per cent hike in taxes after county council approved its 2013 budget.
The $176-million budget will see the county raise almost $78 million for county purposes from taxes. Treasurer Ken DeHart said approval of the budget means $50 more on the tax bill for an average home valued at $350,000.
“This budget will protect and enhance key county priorities and services,” Warden Chris White said after the budget was adopted by council on Jan. 31.
“The county will continue to support the community by improving and maintaining its roads, bridges and solid waste services. We’ll also continue to invest in new infrastructure and repair existing infrastructure. Construction on the Fergus Library branch renovation and new OPP operations centre in Teviotdale are underway.”
The county will spend $13 million on roads and bridges, provide additional service at libraries in Elora, Rockwood, Harriston, Arthur and Erin, implement the county’s economic development strategy (including a new website), and contribute $7.7 million to the construction of the new Guelph and Orangeville public health unit facilities.
“County council has passed a responsible budget,” said councillor John Green, head of the Administration, Finance and Personnel committee. “This budget reflects council’s long-standing tradition of delivering high quality programs and essential services in a cost-effective manner.”
Green said the budget was trimmed from a 2.9% hike considered earlier in the month, by eliminating a $70,000 fire prevention officer position and transferring $300,000 from reserves.
Although the increase is slightly higher than the 1.9% hike in last year’s budget, White hopes it will give the lower tier municipalities some “room to manoeuvre” when they strike their 2013 budgets and increases.
Councillor Lou Maieron suggested the county could cut deeper to achieve a hike of around 1.9%. He said the county has about $60 million in reserves and could find ways to cut the increase.
“I would like to suggest we try to get back to 1.9%,” he said.
Councillor Dennis Lever did not support such a move and said he was comfortable with the “level of reserves we have.”
CAO Scott Wilson suggested the reserves will be needed in the future.
“We have over $1 billion in assets,” Wilson told council. “We’re going to be drawing on all these reserves to keep our assets up.”
Councillor Ken Chapman credited council and staff for putting together a solid budget.
“This is a very good budget,” he said.
The budget approval means the relatively new economic development department will operate with a $575,000 budget, including $100,000 set aside for the 2016 International Plowing Match and about $25,000 set aside for the Safe Communities Committee and its work.
The $13 million in capital projects this year includes:
– $950,000 to convert of Aberfoyle Landfill Site to a transfer station;
– $1.8 million for intersection improvements on Wellington Road 34 at Wellington Roads 35 and 32 in Puslinch Township;
– $2.4 million in improvements to social housing units in Wellington and Guelph;
– $2.5 million for the renovation and expansion of the Fergus Library (total project cost is $5 million);
– $2.5 million for a new roof at the Wellington Terrace nursing home in Aboyne;
– $3 million for the design and replacement of the Tower Street bridge in Fergus; and
– $4 million for the final phase of the new Teviotdale OPP station (total project cost is $7.5 million).
Council passed the budget by a 12-2 vote, with only Maieron and councillor Shawn Watters opposed (councillors Mark MacKenzie and George Bridge were absent).
