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Zero tax success for counties budget
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
budget projected a possible four per cent tax increase to make up the $40.3 million municipal levy needed for the counties to deal with all operation and capital works expenses not already covered through se- nior government grants and other revenue sources. Counties council directed administra- tion to find a way to bring the budget down to a zero tax increase as has been possible with the last two counties budgets. Several indicated they would settle for a maximum two per cent increase if necessary. Staff reviewed the list of expenses pro- posed for 2015 and were able to reduce it by about $1.5 million. Much of the cost-cutting was in the public works area with some construction projects deferred to a later date. The revised budget will still allow the counties to continue with many planned road improvements. Parisien anticipates no problem in seeing the revised budget plan approved by the end of February. «It seems to be going to fly,» he said. Warden Robert Kirby expressed satis- faction at the likelihood of the UCPR again getting early approval of its annual budget. «Very happy,» he said during a later phone interview. «Everybody’s givingme the verbal approval.» Warden Kirby noted that keeping the counties budget at a zero-per cent increase should also have trickle-down benefits for member municipalities still working on their own budget plans. «It gives an opportunity for the lower-tier municipalities to raise a little more funds (for projects), and some of them are fairly strapped,» he said. Getting early approval for the budget also means the UCPR can take advantage of ear- lier public tender opportunities for some of its capital works projects contracts. Many contractors will offer lower bids in an effort to secure a full year of work for their crews before the start of the spring construction season. In Clarence Creek, staff and administration at the Centre d’accueil Roger Séguin are look- ing at capital works expenses for the current year. The centre has filed a request with the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) for $250,000 to help with those plans. Part of the money would go towards clearing a debt incurred for upgrading the centre’s septic service field and the rest towards energy-conservation and efficiency improvements in the facility’s heating and lighting systems.The centre has received aid from the counties in the past for improvements that benefit the senior residents in the building. Counties council has added the subsidy request to this year’s budget review discussion. Seniors home asks for counties help
Counties council asked for a zero tax rate on the new budget and that is what it got. Property owners in Prescott and Russell counties can look forward to at least one break on their tax bills in the spring. Staff at the United Counties of Prescott- Russell (UCPR) office in L’Orignal haveman- aged to whittle down the 2015 budget plan to eliminate the chance of a property tax increase this year from the counties. «We brought it down to zero,» said Sté- phane Parisien, UCRP chief administrator, following the January 28 counties council session. «Everyone was kind of pleased.» The preliminary report on the 2015 UCPR
Counties council, with the help of administration, has again achieved a budget with a zero per cent tax increase.
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