KAGAWONG—At a committee of the whole meeting February 27, Billings council approved a budget tax increase of four percent this year.
“Council voted in favour of a four percent increase,” said Mayor Bryan Barker. “Staff had recommended a five percent increase, but council managed to get it down to four percent (with further cuts) and this motion was passed.”
“Staff had been directed by council to present a proposed budget as lean as possible without negatively impacting township services and they did,” said Mayor Barker. “Capital and operational expenses were lean and couldn’t be cut.”
The draft budget concentrates on asset management, maintaining current service levels, finding areas for efficiencies, leveraging grant and funding opportunities while acknowledging staff capacity and resources available.
With a proposed four percent budget increase, “For the average household assessed in the township of Billings (based in the weighted assessment per household) at $234,380, the four percent tax rate increase will result in an increase in the municipal property tax over 2023 of $107.42 per household. Realistically this is not a whole lot more, it is less than $10 per month.”
To decrease the overall budget by one percent, Mayor Barker said two things in the 2024 budget have been reduced. “We had to basically come up with approximately $20,000 in savings to get to four percent, so council agreed to reduce the amount in the budget for the cedar maze to $10,000 and the amount for investigation into options to consider for 91 Main Street was reduced to $18,000.”
The 2024 proposed budget will be brought forward to council on March 19. Members of the public who wish to comment on the proposed budget are welcome to do so in writing to tmills@billingstwp.ca until March 14 at noon to be included in the agenda package.
