Aurora 2017 tax increase starts at more than 3%

YorkRegion.com
July 29, 2016
Teresa Latchford

Aurora residents may be looking at a tax hike of more than 3 per cent in 2017.

Town council recently discussed budget preparations. The report recommended the net tax increase for the base operating budget be aligned with the consumer price index, reported at 2.3 per cent, plus a 1 per cent increase to top up capitol reserve funds. For a home assessed at $500,000 the increase would be between $55.30 and $60.33.

The nine report recommendations also suggest staff address current budget under funding, like utilities, within the set budget and new funding be levied for additional projects requested by council.

Councillor Harold Kim took issue with the suggestion that the Aurora Public Library, Aurora Cultural Centre and Aurora Historical Society each receive a designated budget funding amount.

“I do believe culture is valuable in our town but if (these organizations) want a more predictable funding model, we need some accountability,” he said. “We first need a stronger governance model or else we are just going to be throwing money at it without much say of a say on how it is spent. It is difficult to fund a project without know the return.”

He reminded his fellow councillors of the lengthy discussions had about this specific topic during last year’s budget deliberations and added seeing a business case and budget would be preferred.

Council agreed to send this recommendation back to the financial advisory committee for more consideration.

Financial services director Dan Elliott informed council the additional 1 per cent cash-to-capital increase would be dispersed among the town’s growth and new capital, infrastructure repair and replacement, studies and other reserves.

Operational expenses, such as hydro and fuel, that are increasing well above inflation, will need to be accounted for within the proposed budget rather than adding to the tax increase to cover it.

“We are looking to cover the growth of community needs and inflation within this framework but it’s going to be tight because there is not a lot of fluff in there for new programs or new service levels,” Elliott added.

He also pointed out the town is facing some deferred tax increases from previous budget years.

Council approved the recommendations not including the funding for the library, cultural centre and historical society.