In what was city council’s final budget ahead of next fall’s municipall election, council was able to hold the tax levy increase to below 2% and it was able to restore some service cuts from last year’s budget.
What exactly that will mean for the average residential homeowner in the Sault isn’t known at this point as tax ratios are worked on.
The budget calls for restoring the over 800-thousand dollars that was taken out of the Public Works and Transporation budget last year for miscellaneous road construction—-that specifically involves road resurfacing work—-and it calls for putting back in place leaf and yard waste collection over the summer months.
It also allows for an additional 65-thousand dollars to be provided to the Canadian Bushplane Musuem.
Council also cut back in some areas or added to its revenues to bring the tav levy increase down to 1.98%——they began the session working from 2.02%.
Those adjustments included eliminating treatment for the emerald ash borer for ash trees on Queen Street, holding back on purchasing one of two zambonis, and introducing a fee for those who receive tax arrear notices.
Council also chose not to reinstate the rate abatement program.
Council approved last night’s budget by a vote of 12 to 1 with only ward 6 councillor Ozzie Grandinetti voting against it partly because of the rate abatement program decision.
Council was told they can expect a surplus between 500-thousand to one million dollars.
Veteran ward 1 city councillor Steve Butland would have liked to have seen surplus funds used to bring down the tax levy and expressed some frustruation that under a new policy 30% will be applied to long-term debt which he says is minimal at under 7-million dollars.