Penetanguishene staff are presenting a 1.5% tax impact after taking into account council direction from its previous budget meeting.
The miniscule percentage increase that comes from a net increase of $9,450 to the budget still falls within the limit set by the town. The new budget reflects the changes asked for by council at its last special budget meeting held in November.
Some of the changes council made include approving to extend part-time positions in key departments to full-time positions with benefits. The three positions are those of a junior planner, a bylaw enforcement officer and an arena facility operator. The wages for these three positions will come from the 2021 service delivery review reserve.
The staff report says the increased service levels from these added positions fall in line with the purpose of the town's service delivery review. This move results in no new taxation.
During the same meeting, council approved a number of community grants for non-profits, such as Georgian Bay General Hospital, physician recruitment committee, and Midland Penetang CERT (Community Emergency Response Team).
The funding for these requests is being drawn from various sections of the budget, such as the community development reserve fund, community capital grant program, and the Good Idea Fund.
However, the overall combined tax impact from the town, county and education taxes is anticipated to be zero or less. In 2021, residents will not see an increase on their tax bill from phased in reassessment increases, as the 2021 provincial reassessment was deferred due to COVID-19.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, but not be live-streamed on Rogers TV. Those looking to participating in the virtual meeting can write to town clerk Stacy Cooper at [email protected]. Otherwise, a recording of the meeting will be available for viewing once it has been uploaded to the town's YouTube channel.
