Tecumseh property owners to see 2.1% tax increase

Property owners in Tecumseh will see a 2.1-per-cent increase on next year’s tax bill after council approved the town’s 2018 budget.

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said the increase works out to an additional $36 in taxes on a home assessed at $250,000.

The town’s total 2018 municipal budget is a little over $24 million, with $15.3 million directed to capital works and the remainder to operations.

Capital projects include road rehabilitation work, bridge repair

and other infrastructure improvements.

“One of the big ones is we continue to upgrade our storm sewer and sanitary sewer project,” McNamara said. “We’ll be spending some capital dollars but also grants from the provincial and federal governments.”

The town has set aside slightly less than $4 million to continue to improve water infiltration issues and upgrade sewers.

McNamara said the goal is to prevent backup of sanitary sewers into homes and reduce the level of storm water that is treated along with sewage at the pollution control plant.

“At the end it’s obviously a cost saving to the taxpayer that we don’t have to treat rainwater,” he said.

As well, the town will be increasing its contribution to a grant program that helps homeowners install backflow protection valves to decrease the likelihood that sewage will back up into basements.

McNamara said a community improvement program for Tecumseh Road has proven very successful, attracting new developments since it launched. A condominium is scheduled to begin construction soon, two apartment units are under construction and plans are being finalized for a townhouse development.

The town will add approximately $150,000 to that program in 2018.

“It’s creating some opportunities for developers to take advantage of an area that was a bit tired, and now it’s revitalized.”

Creating some opportunities for developers to take advantage of an area that was a bit tired, and now it’s revitalized.