A'burg ratepayers face 4.88% tax hike

Province partly to blame: Mayor

Amherstburg ratepayers are facing a 4.88 per cent tax hike in 2021 that's partially attributable to a lack of provincial infrastructure funding and growing legislative demands, according to the town's mayor.

“The first thing people need to focus on is that we did not get our (Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund) funding,” Mayor Aldo Dicarlo said Friday.

Dicarlo said the town had received the annual funding “over a number of years.”

“We have not received any confirmation of it for next year,” he said. “We have no idea (why not). That's all up to the provincial government. We've tried to get some answers but at this point we can't confirm that we will be receiving it.”

Dicarlo estimated the town's share of the anticipated funding — which is provided to small, rural and northern communities to develop and renew infrastructure — at $1.7 million.

“Instead of having that money, we've had to fund that and other things it might cover through property taxes,” he said.

“Coincidentally, by the time council was done with the budget, the additional money coming through on the tax levy is approximately $1.7 million.”

Council deliberated the 2021 draft budget over three days this week, whittling down the proposed 7.55 per cent tax hike.

If the final budget is approved by council, the 4.88 per cent increase will translate into $40 of additional tax for every $100,000 of property assessment.

“According to MPAC, our average house value is $250,000 and so the average house increase would be $120,” he said.

Dicarlo said administration continues to work through its “unique financial circumstances” including an almost inadequately staffed finance department.

“Every year more and more comes to light,” he said, adding the town's most recent service delivery review pointed to “the fact that Amherstburg is understaffed … especially in finance” and the town is mandated under legislation to have certain financial documents, including a properly funded asset management plan, which it still does not have.

“Of course, a lot of that is historical and that's why every year we've continued to ask for more bodies and more money because we are still trying to come back from essentially nothing in 2014,” he said.

In addition, the budget calls for the hiring of in-house legal counsel and a heritage planner.

“(In-house legal counsel is) one of those positions that's proven to pay for itself in the long run,” Dicarlo said, adding that council felt strongly about the need for a heritage planner.

CAO John Miceli said the total of the proposed 2021 budget is $47,661,447. Of that, $10,408,144 is attributed to capital works and water and waste-water costs.

Miceli said the town, which adopted a pay-as-you-go philosophy, no longer issues debt.

“We pay in cash,” he said. “There's still debt that was previously issued and we're paying that down.

“We're continuing to make progress.”

Miceli said the debt is primarily attributed to the town's arena and the sewage treatment plant construction.

Roadwork continues to be a major cost for the town.

“We couldn't possibly fix all the roads that are already past their best-before date,” Dicarlo said, adding the town's roads needs study confirmed decades of neglect. “And so all we can really do is go to the plan, find the roads in worst shape at the top of the list or close to the top of the list.

“We can only knock them off as reasonably as possible.”