Taxes set to go up $50 in East Gwillimbury preliminary 2018 budget

YorkRegion.com
Oct. 18, 2017
Simon Martin

The end of the year means one thing its budget time. East Gwillimbury unveiled its 2018 preliminary budget Oct. 17 and your property taxes are set to rise 3.2 per cent or $50 for the average home.

According to town treasurer Mark Valcic, 1 per cent of the increase is dedicated to hiring new full-time firefighters while the other 2.2 per cent are destined for programs and services.

Things are still very much in the preliminary stages. Council hasn’t had a chance to sit down with the budget book and look at the numbers.

If history repeats itself, council will slash the increase. In 2014, the preliminary budget had a tax increase pegged around 7 per cent before it was slashed to 3.95 per cent.

In 2015, the preliminary budget had a 3.95 tax increase and it was slashed to 3.7 per cent.

In 2016, the preliminary budget had a 5.1 per cent tax increase and it was slashed 2.8 per cent.

The town’s commitment to grow its full-time fire service to 20 firefighters by 2020 certainly makes that a challenge.

When the town made a transition to a full-time fire service during 2014 budget deliberations, council knew the move was going to represent a significant budget increase.

Before 2014, the town had six full-time firefighters. They hired an additional six in 2014 and two in 2015 and 2016, and one in 2017. The town plans to hire an additional firefighter for the next three years to reach a total of 20 by 2020.

The proposed operating budget is $24.9 million

According to Valcic’s report, 84 per cent of the operating budget is funded through taxes with the remaining 16 per cent coming from various user fees, fines and reserve transfers.

Council will spend much of the next two months in budget deliberation. The hope is to be able to adopt the budget before Christmas.

For more information about the town’s budget process, you can visit the eastgwillimbury.ca.