Huntsville residents will likely see a slight decrease in property taxes this year

Huntsville’s Town Council has concluded the bulk of its deliberations on 2021 property taxes and, if estimates regarding District of Muskoka and education tax rates are correct, residents will see an overall decrease in their property tax bills for 2021.

Huntsville’s overall net levy increase is $306,684 plus Council initiatives of $86,500, for a net levy increase of 2.37 per cent over the 2020 levy. That net levy increase translates to an estimated tax rate increase of 0.35 per cent.

Town staff estimate that the District tax rate will increase by 0.97 per cent this year, while the education tax rate will decrease by four per cent, giving taxpayers an overall tax break of 0.24 per cent or about a six dollar decrease on a property assessed at $300,000.

The Town’s overall 2021 draft budget is $16,985,645.

Among the projects and initiatives planned for 2021 are:

Roads capital projects – $2,985,000
Main Street Streetscape – $2,567,000
Fire department anticipated pumper purchase – $450,000
Kent Park redevelopment – $433,000
Port Sydney Beach proposed accessible path and significant repairs to the foundation of the beach pavilion – $219,000
Needs assessment and potential design work for the building at the Madill yard – $100,000
Sidewalk replacement program – $90,000
Council initiatives include $45,000 toward the Community Improvement Program and a $41,500 contribution to the Winter Snowfest and Light Festival, a Huntsville Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce initiative which is currently on hold due to COVID restrictions. Council has also committed to $46,656 of in-kind support for the festival, which has no net levy impact.

The budget includes the following pandemic-related relief funds provided by the province: $133,000 in 2021 Ontario Safe Restart Municipal Funding and $21,900 in 2021 Ontario Safe Restart Transit Funding.

Huntsville’s 2021 budget will receive one final consideration by council later this month.