STAYING LEAN IN LAKESHORE
Town council approves $2.24% tax increase
It’s never a bad thing to deliver a “lean budget’” heading into an election year and the Town of Lakeshore council did just that, passing a budget that was pared down to a 2.24 per cent tax increase.
That represents an additional $55 per year on a house assessed at $200,000.
“I’m pleased with the percentage,” said Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain. “We’ve got quite a few projects on the go for a town our size.
“We’re going ahead with a lot of infrastructure — adding a roundabout just west of the bridge coming into town, paving streets, continuing our gravel road conversion program and sewer work.”
The 2018 budget will total $38.2 million or about $3 million more than 2017.
Bain said the budget didn’t contain any of the eye-catching projects of the past, such as the Atlas Tube Centre or the new breakwall/ boardwalk plan at Belle River’s waterfront.
“It’s a budget that does a lot of the groundwork for some of the bigger projects coming down the road,” Bain said.
“We know we have to build a new police station/public works building and eventually a new town hall. There won’t be any construction started this year on those projects, but we’re doing some of the prep work required.”
Bain said the rapid growth of Lakeshore is proving both a blessing and a challenge for the town.
One of the few disappointments he expressed with the budget was a desire to see the positions of director of legal services and deputy treasurer go unfilled.
“We probably have the fewest number of directors of any municipality in the county, but we’re the biggest municipality,” Bain said. “We’re going to have to add staff at some point.”
After council voted against the two hires, a motion by Coun. Steve Wilder to add $500,000 to a general contingency fund produced the only moments of true debate Friday.
“It’s an election year, they were a little protectionist today,” said Coun. Dave Monk, who argued passionately to fill the two positions.
“I was in favour of supporting our frontline staff. We need the extra bodies to take the workload off our administration.”
Monk was one of the four councillors along with Bain to vote in favour of the budget while Wilder and Coun. Linda McKinlay voted against.
McKinlay supported Wilder’s idea of adding to reserves.
“I saw merit in paying into reserves once Coun. Wilder reduced it to one per cent,” McKinlay said.
“This is an exceptionally lean budget. We have some big issues coming up. Saving money ahead of time seemed a good idea.”
However, McKinlay said overall the budget is one she’s sure Lakeshore residents will be pleased with.
“They’ll like it because it’s a low budget,” McKinlay said. “It’ll be more of a challenge for council and administration to do all the things we want to get done.”
This is an exceptionally lean budget. We have some big issues coming up. Saving money ... seemed a good idea.