GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—With several large cost items facing the township, Gordon/Barrie Island Township Reeve Lee Hayden said he is happy that council has been able to pass a draft budget that is below the cost of living.
“I’m happy we have been able to keep our increase below the cost of living rate,” stated Reeve Hayden, after a council meeting last week. “We had a discussion about the budget at our meeting (last week) and council voted to accept the draft budget and directed our clerk (Carrie Lewis) to prepare a motion to set the budget increase at our next council meeting.”
Reeve Hayden explained the draft budget is for a 3.9 percent increase in the municipal portion of the budget. He noted there is no increase in the school board budget for this year.
Included in the budget is a major culvert replacement we are undertaking on Poplar Road of $180,000. The budget also includes a cost of living wage increase of five percent for township employees. And the cost to the township for their share of the costs of the Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport renovations and upgrades is at a cost of $100,000 for Gordon/Barrie Island.
“We have several big-ticket items that are part of this year’s budget and inflationary costs in road budgets, fuel costs and increases in other areas that we are faced with this year,” said Reeve Hayden.
“To keep the budget increase below the inflationary rate is due to sound management,” said Reeve Hayden. “The township still has to go ahead on the projects it has planned for this year.”
