Public meeting on budget set

Guelph Eramosa residents will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed 2014 budget at a public meeting on March 24 at 7pm at the municipal office.

After several budget meetings, council has come up with a 2.6 per cent increase for township, county and education purposes on a home assessed at $377,000 or $92 more for a total tax bill of $4,254.

The township’s total levy of $5.3 million will cover operating and capital budgets and represents at $355,450 increase over last year. It will cover increases in operational costs related to extreme weather and a $78,000 reduction in provincial funding. The township received $521,800 in provincial money last year and will get $443,000 this year.

“It’s a big dip,” said director of finance Linda Cheyne.

Capital projects include reconstruction of Speedvale Avenue, engineering work on township Road 3 and work on three bridges amounting to about $1.5 million.

What won’t impact the budget is the $375,000 purchase of land as part of the 22-acre expansion of Rockmosa Park ,which will come out of the Rockwood Hydro Fund.