Preliminary budget for 2017

Preliminary budget for 2017

Notes from Mike Stevens on the Marmora and Lake preliminary budget for 2017

Note: The full budget can be seen on the Marmora and Lake web site

The tax levy (i.e. the amount of money collected through taxes by the municipality to run its finances) is going up 3.5% from $2,988,307 last year to $3,092,994 or $104,594. This means an average increase of $20.00 for every $100,000.00 your property is now valued at. E.g. if your house/cottage is assessed at $300,000.00 your taxes would go up $60.00 for the year.

Major contributions to the 3.5% or $104,594.00 are:

CPI increased 2% so all the goods and services the municipality purchases are going up

Policing cost rose $16,000.00 to $894,735.00 which is $234,700 over our 2014 cost.It now accounts for 28.93% of the our budget.

Sand and salt to refill the sand domes is budgeted to increase $50,000.00 over 2016.

Wages and salaries increased $30,392.00

Doctor recruitment at the medical centre has increased by $23,000. ( we lost a doctor last year and it is impossible for the one remaining doctor to handle the work load ) and we really need 2 more doctors to handle it but so far have only been able to entice one to come to our area.

One notable saving is in hydro costs to operate the street lights and building lights by switching to LEDs

Other comments:

The $40 capital cost levy remains the same as do garbage pick-up and bag tags.

We have set aside another $100,000 for road upgrades over and above last year. We are trying to bring all roads in the municipality up to higher standards and keep them there with better grading, re gravelling, better dust control etc. and keep them there. Last year several roads in the municipality were recoated with a sealer to lengthen their life. Skene road benefited from this last year.

The town hall will receive a major renovation to correct many deficiencies.

Marmora and Lake has had the lowest tax rate of any municipality in Hastings county for the past 5 years This year’s tax rate is .00566972, and compared to Bancroft’s (which I will admit is one of the higher ones at .01222523 last year) we are 46% of their rate, less than half. Last year our tax rate was 20% lower than the closest municipality, which is Tweed.

Please look over the whole budget and submit any comments to the municipality or myself. Search: “Marmora and Lake 2017 budget” on the web for a pdf file. There will be a public meeting on Apr. 4 at 2:00 pm at the Town Hall on Burstall St. in Marmora.

Mike Stevens
Member of Council
m.stevens@marmoraandlake.ca