Newmarket taxpayers facing a $51 tax increase for 2017

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 7, 2017
Teresa Latchford

Newmarket is set to approve the final 2017 budget next week.

Council previously directed town staff to aim for a 2.8 per cent increase at the beginning of the budget process, which would cost the average homeowner an additional $41 a year in property taxes. However, this week council decided to go with a 2.99 per cent increase to accommodate additional sidewalk snow clearing and to implement the third phase of the traffic management initiative.  This would mean the average homeowner is looking at an additional $51 per year in property taxes.

“We really shouldn’t be deferring items to next year since we are projecting a 3.5 per cent increase in 2018,” regional Coun. John Taylor said. “We set the target as a guideline and I am satisfied with where staff and council have landed.”

Councillors had a long discussion about knocking $25,000 off the $75,000 price tag of potted flowers that are used to beautify the Main Street area. Some felt it a necessity for the beautification of the town and others felt it creates somewhat of an equity issue since some areas receive the flowers and others don’t.

Newmarket Taxpayers Advocacy Group president Tina Bogner commends the town’s finance department for implementing new budget policies to ensure growth pays for growth and deferrals to future tax years are minimalized, but she isn’t convinced everything was done to achieve the lowest tax increase.

“The town budget has proposed reducing potted flowers. The construction of an outdoor skateboard park may be delayed by two years,” she said. “While there has been an attempt to wrestle with costs, council lacks a significant road map to seriously decrease spending and increase internal efficiencies and cost savings.”

Despite the savings and efficiencies town staff have found throughout the budget process, Bogner feels there is more that could be done.

While the current hike rests at 2.99 per cent, that number could increase further if council agrees to add an additional $7,000 to the budget to purchase patio furniture for the Gorman Pool.

The final budget consideration and deliberations will take place in council chambers on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.