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Caron Street issue splits council vote on C-R budget gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Rockland said. “We haven’t addressed the needs of the roads.”
He expressed concern that council has failed to even start to discuss issues like borrowing capacity, that need addressing so the city can domajor capital projects like the Caron Street extension. Félio is also critical about the lack of information or a working plan dealing with ditching needs around the municipality and developing priority lis- ting for roadwork. Mayor Marcel Guibord is satisfied with the conclusion of this year’s budget process. “I’m pleased we finally have something to go by,” he said. “I think it’s a good budget,I’mhappywithit.Ithinkeverybody should be.” The 2012 municipal budget tallies about $26.9 million, including a $3.3 million capital works portion. The municipal levy portion of the budget works out to $13.6 million that the city has to collect in property taxes. This year’s budget means a 3.5 per cent increase in the overall tax rate to raise the levy. That works out an increase of $22.87 for every $100,000 assessed value of the average residential property. Individual properties will have different values depending on their provincial assessment. Property tax notices go out in the mail later in the season. Besides the municipal portion, the city is also responsible for collecting property taxes for the school districts, United Counties of Prescott-Rus- sell, and other agencies like the South NationConservationAuthority. The actual city portion of the total property tax amounts to 47 per cent.
Clarence-Rockland has its 2012 municipal budget but the decision to approve the final document was not unanimous. There was an unexpected split in the registeredvoteonthe2012budgetapproval resolution late Monday night near the end oftheregularsessionofcouncil.BothCoun. Guy Félio and Coun. Raymond Serrurier cast “No” votes on accepting the final document and for much the same reason. They cited the stalled situation with the Caron Street extension project as their primary concern. “Caron’s not going ahead fast enough in my opinion,” Serrurier said, following the close of council. “It should be happe- ning now.” Prior to the registered vote, Serrurier declared that the Caron Street extension is “essential for commercial development, residential development, for the economic development of Clarence-Rockland.” The Ward 4 councillor noted that the Caron Street sewer system section is already “beyond its capacity” and needs the upgrade that would be part of the planned extension of the road to connect it with County Road 17. “I didn’t feel comfortable with this year’s budget,” Coun. Félio said. He listed the delays with the Caron Street project as one of several reasons why he voted against the 2012 budget resolution. He repeated past criticisms that the city needs to get moving with actual construction work on the planned exten- sion. “We’re just doing more studies,” Félio
Photo Gregg Chamberlain Busy as the traffic gets at the intersection of Caron Street and Laurier Street, go slow or full stop is what worries at least two council members about the current, and possible future, state of the Caron Street expansion that would provide a new connection to County Road 17. Councillors Raymond Serrurier and Guy Félio put their fears on the table by voting against passing this year's municipal budget for Clarence-Rockland.
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