Guelph-Eramosa approves 7.5% tax increase
Homeowners in Guelph-Eramosa Township should expect the local portion of their tax bill to increase by about 7.5% this year.
On Tuesday night council passed the 2012 budget, including a 9.1% tax levy increase (from $4,327,066 to $4,720,815).
Due to increased assessment across the township, the actual local tax increase for the average taxpayer will be 7.48%.
For a home assessed at $352,800 this year, the owner will pay $892 in local taxes in 2012, up $62 from $830 in 2011.
Mayor Chris White said after the meeting he has heard very little feedback from residents on the budget. He attributed that to efforts by Guelph-Eramosa council and county council to keep the overall tax rate below the rate of inflation.
“We worked very hard to get a blended rate of 2.85%,” White said in a press release. “This increase will help us continue to provide priority services and infrastructure for our rate payers.”
The county’s portion of the overall tax bill (about 58%) will increase this year by 1.8% or $42, and the education portion (about 20%) us up by a fraction of a per cent, or $7.
That means overall tax bills in Guelph-Eramosa will increase 2.85%, which translates to $111 (from $3,899 to $4,010) for the average taxpayer.
Included in the 2012 budget is over $6.35 million in capital expenditures, such as:
- $21,065 for upgrades to the township’s website;- $30,000 for a new front deck mower for the parks department;
- $37,000 for new doors and an HVAC unit at the old Rockwood town hall;
- $45,000 to complete the Marden Park master plan;
- $50,000 for a new roof and doors at the Marden public works shop;
- $60,000 for testing to determine if upgrades are required for Oliphant Street in Everton;
- $70,000 to expand the parking lot at the Marden Community Centre;
- $80,500 for fire department items such as new bunker gear and portable radios;
- $107,000 to repair a 6th Line bridge;
- $121,800 to reconstruct the Rockwood tennis courts;
- $130,000 for Rockwood street upgrades (Weatherald, Division and Thatcher);
- over $1 million for the water department, including $830,000 for a new well and pumping station in Rockwood;
- $1.4 million to reconstruct and pave a portion of Jones Baseline; and
- almost $3 million in wastewater items, including a $1.9-million conversion of a pre-treatment plant and $1 million to increase the capacity of pumps and sewers and replace some sewers at the Valley Road facility.
