If Huntsville’s current 2016 draft budget were to remain as is, residents would be looking at a tax rate increase of about 6.53 per cent on the Huntsville portion of their tax bill.
The overall property tax bill is divvied between education, the District Municipality of Muskoka and the Town of Huntsville, the latter taking up about 25 cents of every dollar raised through property taxes.
If Huntsville’s draft budget were to remain at its current rate, according to Town Treasurer Julia Finch, it would translate to a $21 increase, for the Huntsville portion, on a residence assessed at $100,000 – but budget deliberations continue.
Looking at spending $2 million on roads in 2016
Under the municipality’s capital budget, an increase of an estimated $594,000 or 29.57 per cent is being proposed. From that, the roads capital budget would increase by $400,000, taking it to about $2 million for 2016. A further $171,000 has been assigned to the capital asset plan and the municipality still has to consider how much of the rebuilding of the Stephenson Road Bridge will come from capital. It is splitting that cost with the Town of Bracebridge.
The municipality’s draft operating budget is showing an increase of an estimated $485,000, or 4.95 per cent, with an estimated $197,000 made up of new initiatives such as $17,000 for an investigation into storm system drainage issues at the CN Rail site, a parking study and review at the high school/ Summit Centre and Brunel Road area for $17,500, two automatic door openers for the Summit Centre pool area at $10,000, and a transit study at $20,000, part of which will be pulled from reserves and an expenditure on which council is expected to continue deliberating.
Other new initiatives under operating expenditures include the purchase of eco-stations for events and an additional $24,000 for tourism promotion at the Chamber, an initiative which is also expected to be discussed further. Funds are also being set aside for a parking and drainage study at River Mill Park, although the amount is not clear – some of the funds are expected to be pulled from reserves – and an additional $24,000 is going to the library budget for utilities associated with the library’s new building on Minerva Street. The remainder of the increase goes to salaries, wages and benefits.
Overall, the current draft budget is calling for a budget increase of 9.14 per cent, or an estimated $1.08 million over last year.
Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano is hoping to bring down the draft budget even further.
I’m still optimistic that we can get that nine per cent down to under eight for sure.Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano
Terziano said some of the areas that require a closer look include the municipality’s salaries, wages and benefits and the majority of councillors still need to go through the operating budget for the Department of Public Works.
“My goal is to go through it and as much as I’m committed to roads I’m not committed to just throwing money around,” she said.
Another issue council will need to tackle is whether to continue investing in Ironman Muskoka.
We’ve got to pay $100,000 from this current year we’re in and it could potentially cost us $150,000 next year if we don’t make some significant changes so that’s a huge piece for me.
Deputy Mayor Karin Terziano
She said when council committed to the event it was assured that it would not cost the municipality anything, that organizers would raise the funds required to put on the event. “That didn’t happen in year one and I’m skeptical about it happening in year two,” said Terziano, who suggested the event could possibly be done in-house.
Council is scheduled to continue tackling the budget at its special General Committee meeting on January 11, at which point it is hoping to make a final recommendation at its regular council meeting of January 25. “That’s what our goal is,” said Terziano.
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