Huntsville Council will continue to tackle the draft 2024 budget, at a special meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 11, 2024.
The tax increase for the Huntsville portion of the property tax is currently sitting at 10.89 per cent, down from the initial 15.26 per cent council started with. The tax reduction, if passed, would bring the overall property tax (including the District and Education portions) down from 8.55 per cent to 6.45 per cent which would translate into an additional $140 per $300,000 of annual assessment.
At the last meeting on December 12, council directed saff to cut or reduce the following items to bring the increase down to 10.89 per cent from 15.26 per cent.
- Delay funding for the Madill facility capital contribution ($50,000)
- Roads needs study consulting to come from Working Funds reserve, one-time ($70,000)
- Utilize Municipal Accommodation Tax funding for general revenues, ongoing ($180,000)
- Remove directing savings from ending debenture to capital contributions reserve transfer and do not proceed with the increase in reserve contribution from the debenture savings as outlined in Budget & Financial Controls Policy ($87,000)
- Centre Street lease revenue brought into general revenues rather than transferring to Environmental Reserve ($444,096)
- Change the overall increase in the capital budget for funding from $751,350 to $672,200
- Removal of the Community Requests identified in report CORP-2023-71 2024 Draft Capital Budget as identified in Schedule G – 2024 New Community Requests
- Muskoka Heritage Place 2023 capital project to replace the museum ceiling and lighting in the amount of $30,000 be deferred and included in the 2024 capital budget to be funded from MHP Capital Reserve
- Economic Development 2023 capital project to replace the welcome sign in the amount of $10,000 be deferred and included in the 2024 capital budget to be funded from Economic Development Capital Reserve
- A report will be presented by Staff for Committee’s consideration regarding the Parks Attendants and Parks Lead hand positions proposed in the Draft Budget.
Municipal staff will return on January 11 with an updated consolidated draft 2024 budget. They said they will also make two further recommendations that would result in further savings and bring the tax increase from 10.89 per cent to 9.97 per cent.
“These additional options are: further reduction in Capital contribution OR increase the amount of Municipal Accommodation Tax funding going toward general revenues,” states the municipality on its website. It adds that many factors have put upward pressure on the draft 2024 budget, such as:
- The population of the Town of Huntsville has grown 11% from 2014-2021.
- Cost of materials has risen dramatically, for example the cost of road building and line painting materials has risen 44-65% from 2021-2023
- The inflation rate from 2021-2023 was 4.75%, as compared with a rate of only 1.66% from 2018-2020
- Decrease in COVID relief funding – one-time funding from 2023 (COVID recovery and MAT funding) removed from the budget, representing a change of 18%
- Inflationary and increased use of programs and facilities impact on materials and contracted services, representing an increase of 38%
- Increased funding for on-going capital costs of 23%
Residents already beleaguered by inflationary pressures on everything from food to heating costs are urging their councillors to bring down costs impacting the property tax.
You can attend the proceeding in the council chambers. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. You can also watch it online, HERE.
—Compiled with files from the Town of Huntsville
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George Hines says
Perhaps you can defer 50% of the Parks and Trails projects to 2025.
David Wexler says
Leadership is about making tough but correct decisions. A property tax increase well above inflation, or frankly any property tax increase, without having started from a point of asking whether or not those paying can afford the increase or not is not leadership. I suggest that we’ve read enough posturing via the media on how much reasonableness the council is showing by reducing taxes from the outrageous (15%) to the merely obscene (9%).
My expectation of Town Council is that we see a property tax increase in line with what Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, and Orillia are targeting.
Anything more and this is a failure of leadership in Huntsville.
My two cents.
David
Kathryn Henderson says
A tax increase of anything iver 5% is unreasonable. No one but council gets 5% raises. Times are tiugh. People are barely keeping their homes as it is without a ridiculous tax hike like what is being proposed. They started with 15% so we would be happy when they brought it diwn to 10%. We are not stupid. Freeze tax hikes for now until people can start fetting by. There are no raises in sight for employees. I know we were lucky if we got 5% raise a year and most dont get that. Coucil should prepare for a tent city if they are going toraise taxes by so much. People cant afford it. Think of the aversge joe in town and not the rich.
Allen Markle says
These are the people who sit around the table and listen to someone who muses that we need an outdoor ice venue. We do, but in todays environment? And no one to say”Shake your head”?
Maybe they could put boards around a bunch of pickle ball courts that under snow and ice anyway. Or would that cut into rainbow money?
I know council isn’t that well recompensed for the job they do, and I thank them. But some are financialy independent and also double-dipping with our “wonderful” district government. I mean “wonderful” in the sense of wondering what they really do except blow$$$$ away. Never a fan of extra noses in my business and hands in my pockets.
And while I’m wondering; do we have plow trucks an slushers? If so, could we get people to drive them instead of ‘lead hands’ for ‘Parks’?
Happy New Year people!!!!
A new year for sure. We can only hope it’s not just the same s$$t but a different year.
Fingers crossed.
frank ferrante says
I have several apts and this year (2024) i can only increas rent by 2.5% as mandated by the province. I have to live with that increase and adjust my expences. I have no choice but to accept that increase. Property taxes are a big part of my expences and if the town increase these taxes by 10 or 15 % that will inpact me greatly. If i have to live with a 2.5% increase i think the town should also. If there is a shortage of apts in huntsville and ontario, this is a major reason. Please think before you act. frank