North Frontenac Council - Apr. 10

Jeff Green | Apr 12, 2012

North Frontenac property tax increase settles at 7%

11.3% local increase offset by lower Education and County rates

“I apologize for bringing this up so late in the process,” said Councilor John Inglis during a public meeting about the 2012 North Frontenac budget, “but I can't live with a 14.2% increase in local taxes.”

With that, Inglis proposed a cut of $150,000 from the budget, which leaves North Frontenac ratepayers on the hook for $4.7 million for local services in 2012, an increase of $450,000 (11.3%) over last year.

When combined with a provincially mandated education level that is up by $54,000 (3.5%) and a decrease of $15,000 (-1%) in the Frontenac County levy, North Frontenac ratepayers will collectively pay $7.58 million in municipal taxes this year, up $488,000 from 2011.

In percentage terms the total increase is 6.9%.

The $150,000 cut to the budget came from a one time levy to cover projected costs for the Ompah fire hall project.

If the $150,000 is required to complete the fire hall this year, the money will have to be borrowed and paid back over time.

“I think it is alright to borrow money for the fire hall if we have to, because it will be an asset that we have for 25 years,” said Councilor Lonnie Watkins. “Besides, we don't know how much it will cost in the end anyway.”

The township already has $350,000 in reserve for the building project, and a commitment of $50,000 from the fundraising efforts of the Ompah firefighters. The fire hall project is a joint effort with Frontenac County, which is planning to establish an ambulance post in the same building. North Frontenac has made a commitment to the county to pay up to $550,000 for their share of the project's costs.

Township Treasurer Angela Millar did not expect to be making changes to the budget at the last minute, and she had to scramble to prepare a revised budget documents and a revised bylaw so the 2012 budget could be passed at the meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, she outlined some of the decisions council made during five budget deliberations sessions over the last two months.

“The budget includes $150,000 in new spending to establish an Infrastructure Sustainability Reserve, and $5,000 for the development of concept drawings and a survey for a new cenotaph,” Millar said.

In terms of road work, the 2012 budget bumps up the spending road construction to $470,000 (up from $164,000 in 2011.

Construction projects include: 1km of single surface paving on Gull Lake Road, 3 km of paving as well as other work on Myers Cave Road, crack sealing and pavement resurfacing on Harlowe Road, 3 km of single surface repaving plus 1 km of double surface paving on Ardoch Road, 1km double surface and 1 km single surface paving on the Elphin-Maberly Road, and approximately 10 km of single surface paving on Roads 506/509.

Among other smaller items in the budget, the township is setting $32,000 aside towards a proposed new addition to the municipal office in the future.