AH tax levy increases by 5.6 per cent

Craig Bakay | May 08, 2019

Addington Highlands Township passed its 2019 budget at its regular meeting in Flinton Tuesday afternoon and the net result is that it will be asking its ratepayers for $2,937,616.22, in taxes an increase of 5.6 per cent over 2018’s 42,781,829.30.

Reeve Henry Hogg was quick to point out that the increase in the tax rate was 1.8 per cent.

Total expenditures for 2019 are expected to be $6,262,871.91 (as opposed to $5,574,53.37 in 2018).

Operating revenues are expected to be $1,451,499.57 ($1,021,850.07 in 2018) and its Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund allocation is up slightly to $2,053,400 from $2,040,300 in 2018.

One thing that didn’t get added to this year’s budget is the additional expenses accrued due to spring flooding, said Hogg.

“We decided not to amend the budget,” he said.

Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed said that if expenses from flooding turn out to be more than $79,000, they’ll submit a disaster assistance application to the province. Another option is to take funds from reserves to pay for flooding.

“We’ll have to see if, at the end of the year Brett’s (Road & Waster Management Supervisor Reavie) budget is over that,” she said. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“If it isn’t flooded out,” said Hogg.

False alarm
Some recent fire calls were false alarms, Fire Chief Casey Cuddy told Council in response to a question from Reeve Henry Hogg.

“Next one they’ll be getting an invoice,” said Cuddy. “(And) we won’t be waiting around for an hour for a keyholder to show up.”

They can provide us with one or we’re going through the door.

“There’s something wrong with their system.”

“Five trucks sitting there for an hour is some pretty expensive equipment,” said Hogg.

Cuddy also said they’re will be changes proposed to the wildfire bylaw to cover things like flying lanterns.

Washouts
Road and Waste Supervisor’s comment on how busy his crews were with washouts: “There might have been a few guys got to have some time off on Easter Weekend.”

That prompted Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch to move for an ad in the newspaper thanking the crews for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty.

Palliative Care program
Compassionate Care Program Co-ordinator Matt Walker has been making the rounds of local Councils (he was at North Frontenac last Friday) explaining the services his organization offers in the way of palliative care including visits from volunteers, consultation, bereavement counselling and equipment lending.

But, he said the number 1 thing he hears in his job is the need for affordable transportation.

To that end, Walker said he’s working on a plan whereby a bus could be used to travel the main roads to Kingston, Napanee and Belleville while the existing volunteer network could be used to ferry patients to the bus line.