MINTO – Staff here have recommended lowering the town tax levy increase from 4.08 per cent to 3.98%.
The change, included as part the proposed final 2026 Minto budget, was presented at a Dec. 16 council meeting by treasurer Gordon Duff.
The tax-supported operating budget totals about $7.18 million and based on a typical house assessed at $250,000, there would be an increase of $73 in town taxes next year.
The decreased tax levy is due to “one of the major capital grants” falling through for a proposed capital project, Duff said.
“There weren’t a lot of changes but it affected a lot of accounts,” he added.
“The good news is … our OMPF (Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund) funding … is coming in at $1.579 million.”
Fourteen changes were made by staff to the operating budget since a Nov. 4 presentation.
Major changes include:
- $1.5 million in OMPF funding revised to $1.579;
- administration/finance: transfers from reserves raised from $106,000 to $125,000; and
- public works: principal on long-term debt lowered from $398,000 to $370,000.
The capital budget totals close to $17 million.
Three changes occurred since the Nov. 25 capital budget presentation, including:
- Webb and Raglan project in Harriston moved from priority one to priority three due to unsuccessful grant;
- an increase of $25,000 to the Harriston Arena HVAC and refrigeration upgrade (total is now $150,000); and
- new temporary water lines project added to water services (total of $40,000).
Capital budget priority-one projects are not funded by taxation and will be funded through reserve accounts, grant funding and long-term borrowing, officials say.
Council had no comments or questions regarding the budget on Dec. 16 and received it for information.
That set into motion “the strong mayor powers budget process clock,” Duff stated in his report, which includes a 15-day review period.
If there are any councillor amendments proposed, a 10-day veto/override period for the mayor would follow, pushing the budget process into January.
If no amendments are proposed by council, the budget will be deemed adopted by Dec. 31.
“Hopefully come January 1 we can get at it [and] spend some of this capital money and others,” Mayor Dave Turton said at the end of the meeting.
