" $ 5 6 " - * 5 4 r / & 8 4 UCPR 2021 BUDGET LIMITED TO ONE PER CENT TAX INCREASE
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
The financial stress of the pandemic for everyone is on the minds of Prescott- Russell mayors and staff as they start reviewing the regional budget. “It goes without saying that COVID-19 has flipped our world upside down,” said Valé- rie Parisien, finance director for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR), as she presented the 2021 budget preliminary report during the October 14 committee of the whole council. Parisien noted that the pandemic has proved one of the “major milestones” for finance department staff in working out details for next year’s UCPR budget. Part of the preparation involved reviewing the pan- demic’s impact on the 2020 budget plans and then projecting the potential impact of COVID-19 on 2021 operations and capital works planning. For now Parisien and her staff anticipate “minimal (new) COVID-19 expenses” as UCPR staff and operations have adapted to the demands of maintaining programs and services during the pandemic. Parisien noted that the UCPR will be able to cover new costs in 2021 because of the pandemic with surplus funds from this year’s Ontario Safe Start Up municipal grant and any new provincial and federal pandemic assistance programs for local governments. The projected 2021 budget for the UCPR is about $140 million. The public levy por- tion, which is revenue from property taxes, is estimated at about $48 million. This equals almost a one per cent increase of $470,000 compared to the public levy for the 2020 UCPR budget. For the average homeowner, with a house and property valued at $272,538, this would mean an $11 increase on the UCPR portion of the property tax bill. All eight mayors agreed with keeping the 2021 budget tax increase at one per cent to avoid adding to the financial stress of the pandemic on local taxpayers. Parisien and her staff will review the budget figures again to find any more possible cost savings and present the revised budget during the October 28 council session for review and further comment. The goal is to have the final budget ready GPS6$13DPVODJMUPBQQSPWFBUJUT/PWFNCFS 25 meeting. &/#3&'r#3*&'4 CDSBEO SCHOOLS REPORT The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) reviewed a report during its October 6 meeting on results for its provincial School Renewal and School Condition Improvement funding. The 2019-2020 term, despite the pandemic, saw more than 70 critical improvement projects finished on school buildings and other facilities throughout the CDSBEO region. Some projects involved upgrades to all schools to meet public health safety for students and staff, including installation of hand- sanitizer dispensers, plexiglass barriers, water-bottle filling stations, and signage to help maintain social distancing.
Les huit maires de Prescott-Russell estiment que la pandémie a créé suffisamment de difficultés financières pour les contribuables. Ils veulent limiter à un pour cent toute augmentation éventuelle du taux d’imposition pour le budget 2021 des Comtés unis de Prescott etRussell. —archives
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ST-HUBERT.COM 9071 County Road 17, ROCKLAND
* Taxe en sus. Promotion o ff erte pour un temps limité dans les restaurants participants. O ff re valide au comptoir à emporter et au service au volant. Applicable aussi à la livraison pour 37,95 $ pour le repas Familial 4. Présentation suggérée. Jusqu’à épuisement des stocks. Ne peut être jumelée à aucune autre o ff re spéciale ou promotion. MD Coca-Cola Ltée, utilisée sous licence. MD Marque déposée de St-Hubert S.E.C. // *Tax extra. Promotion available for a limited time at participating restaurants. O ff er valid at take-out counters and drive-thru services. Also valid for delivery at $37.95 for the Family 4 meal. Suggested serving. While supplies last. Cannot be combined with any other special o ff er or promotion. ®Coca-Cola Ltd., used under licence. ®Registered trademark of St-Hubert L.P.
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