Following several committee of the whole meetings, Grey Highlands council has agreed on a proposed 2021 draft budget to be brought forward for public consultation.
“We're looking at a 5.7 per cent levy impact, and that's before growth. If we were to take into account growth, it would be 4.49 per cent, with an estimated local tax rate increase of 4.4 per cent,” stated Anna McCarthy, treasurer for Grey Highlands during a committee of the whole meeting held on Friday.
The initial draft budget was presented to the council in early November and proposed a 14.8 per cent tax increase.
Prior to looking at the draft budget details set forward, council asked staff to examine the proposed budget and bring back a more “fiscally responsible” proposal.
Since that time council members have debated the proposed budget through a series of deliberations held on Dec. 1, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 18.
The most recent committee of the whole meeting was held on Friday, where council members approved a draft to present to the public.
“The increase in local tax dollars on a home valued at $300,000 would be $80. That's $26 per $100,000 of assessment value,” McCarthy said.
Municipal staff are now in the process of compiling a summary of the budget for public consumption.
The 2021 budget summary is expected to be released prior to a public open house session that will be scheduled in the coming days.
In regards to the water and wastewater rate increases in Grey Highlands, council members are awaiting additional information from DFA Infrastructure International Inc., the consultants on the project, and no further decisions have been made at this time.
In mid-November, Grey Highlands council members were advised by the consultant company to consider a 50 per cent increase to water and wastewater rates, to be implemented in 2022.
Following a lengthy discussion, council members asked the consulting group to provide further details on what the rates and impacts would be with different percentages ranging from five to the full 50 per cent.
Staff and council members are currently waiting on the follow-up report. Once the report is received a committee of the whole meeting will be scheduled.
Upcoming budget and council meetings, as well as any related documentation, will be posted to the Grey Highlands Meeting Portal once available. Public input can be submitted to the municipality for council consideration at [email protected].
