Taxpayers face 2.66 percent increase in 2010

Budget to be presented to council for approval Dec. 14

Posted By Ron Giofu/The Amherstburg Echo

Posted 2 months ago

AMHERSTBURG — Taxpayers in Amherstburg face a tax increase of 2.66 percent if the 2010 budget gets approved in its current form.

The $39.7 million capital budget will go before town council for approval Dec. 14 but a special public meeting was held Monday night where administration outlined the 2010 budget.

The proposed budget increase means a home assessed at $191,521 would see a tax increase of $36.58.

"Council has done a tremendous amount of work to get where we are at today," said CAO Pam Malott.

Malott noted there have been several challenges that the town has faced in preparing their 2010 budget, including a 22 percent increase in their insurance rates and a reduction in their provincial OMPF funding by $250,000.

Ivano Fregonese, the town's manager of budget services, noted other challenges have included aging infrastructure and an aging town fleet, the economy, assessments and reassessments and maintaining the town's capital strategy. The town's present debt balance is roughly $8.6 million.

The town has transferred $500,000 out of reserves and the downturn in building means that $149,644 has been transferred to the building department to offset operational deficits and to take care of a portion of the accumulated deficit. The War of 1812 bicentennial initiative sees roughly $9,500 budgeted towards it while the Big Creek Management Study has $25,000 allocated to it.

Much of the $15.1 public works budget is tied up in various road projects including Texas Road pre-engineering work, Dalhousie St. work, re-opening Thomas Road, work on Lowes Side Road and the ongoing urban renewal project.

Fregonese said council and administration have been successful in obtaining grant funding which accounts for roughly $29 million of the budget. Long-term debt financed this year includes the town's share of the recreation complex and their share of the urban renewal project.

Budget numbers could shift slightly due to final MPAC assessments coming Dec. 8.

Texas Road was a particular focus of those members of the public that attended. Valentino Salvati said the residents want to see the road reconstructed with safety a primary factor.

"The road is very unsafe to drive and unsafe to walk," said Salvati.

Salvati said many residents like to walk but "we are not able to do that. The road is unsafe. It's 2010 pretty soon and we're too scared to walk on the road."

Mayor Wayne Hurst said they are trying to do roads "piece by piece" and pledged that they are going to get to Texas Road. He said there is only so much money available but the town is continually seeking grant funding to get Texas Road done.

"I will not rest until Texas Road is done," said Hurst.

Councillor Rick Fryer, himself a Texas Road resident, pointed out $40,000 has been set aside in the 2010 budget for pre-engineering work, That means if the town is successful in landing funds, they will be ready to go.

After two days of budget sessions last week, most council members were satisfied with the proposed increase.

Councillor John Sutton called the budget defensible and responsible and said "anything lower and we don't get any work done." Councillor Bob Pillon said he was comfortable with it and said if they took any more out of it, it would just cost the town more down the road.