The draft 2023 budget for the Municipality of Grey Highlands is proposing a 7.1 per cent increase to the local tax rate.
Over the past few weeks, Grey Highlands council has held a series of budget meetings to work through the process of getting a budget in place. Council completed the meetings on Jan. 31 and will now take the proposed budget to a public town hall meeting on Feb. 16.
The total tax levy in the municipality is proposed to grow by $932,159 in 2023 to a total of $14,215,565. Operating expenses are up $890,935 and new additions to the budget totalled $321,224. Those numbers were offset by new revenue of $280,000 from growth.
With the proposed local tax increase at 7.1 per cent, the Grey County increase at 1.48 per cent and the school board at zero per cent - the blended increase to tax bills in Grey Highlands is 4.4 per cent. This represents $52 per year per $100,000 of assessment or $159 for a home assessed at the average value of $305,908.
Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen said he isn’t satisfied with the budget and would like to see the proposed increase lowered.
“It’s too high. Way too high,” he said. “It’s about choices. It’s tough choices we have to make. We need to come back and make some reductions.”
McQueen said he is considering a notice of motion later this year to provide general direction from council to staff ahead of the 2024 budget. In the meantime, McQueen urged Grey Highlands residents to participate in the budget open house on Feb. 16 and make their thoughts known to council.
“I hope to see lots of people come out and make comments,” he said. “It’s very important for the public to make those comments: get involved and tell (council) where they think we should be at.”
Grey Highlands Deputy Mayor Dane Nielsen said he believes council has been responsible with the draft budget.
“I think we’ve done a good job in bringing forward an appropriate budget given the pressures the municipality has been under,” said Nielsen. “We are being responsible and are trying to maintain the levels of service. We’ve seen what this new council sees as priorities.”
Nielsen said he was pleased the proposed budget includes no service cuts and has continued to make investments in the municipality’s asset management plan.
Inflationary pressures and rising interest costs had big impacts on the proposed budget for Grey Highlands. In addition, the municipality continues to invest in its capital program in order to meet its asset management plan goals.
Budget drivers included: an increase in insurance premiums, increase in garbage/recycling collection contract costs (Grey Highlands implemented a new collection contract in 2023, which was awarded to the lowest bidder), a decrease in provincial Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund money, increase costs for staff wages and benefits, increase to fuel and heating costs and increased costs for gravel and winter sand/salt.
Staff and council were able to identify cost savings of $154,000 to help offset the increases.
Approved projects in the budget include:
- setting up a household hazardous waste program in 2023,
- funds set aside for climate considerations,
- an extension of Saugeen mobility and regional transit contract,
- summer students to help maintain the downtowns,
- Markdale Library refresh,
- repairs to Markdale arena and hall, Osprey arena hall, Maxwell Hall, and Kimberley Hall façade and roof,
- battery-operated extrication tools for fire and emergency services, and
- continued investment in gravel roads and connecting link rehabilitation in Markdale and Flesherton, if provincial grant funding is approved.
Grey Highlands will now present the budget to the public at a special town hall meeting to be held in the council chambers in Markdale. The meeting will be held on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. Local residents are able to participate both in person and virtually. They can register for virtual participation here.
