East Gwillimbury set to pass 2.8% tax hike in 2020 budget

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 13, 2019
Simon Martin

East Gwillimbury council has been sharpening its pencils in recent weeks during 2020 budget deliberations.

It looks like the powers that be have finally arrived at number.

The town council agreed in principle to a tax increase of 2.8 per cent, which amounts to an additional $45 a year for the average homeowner with a house valued at $500,000.

The budget is expected to be officially adopted at the Dec. 17 council meeting.

Mayor Virginia Hackson said it’s advantageous for the town to get its budget done before the new year.

“Tenders that are very sensitive are much more in our favour,” she said.

Staff originally proposed a tax levy increase of 3.2 per cent, but that number was eventually whittled down to 2.8 per cent over many hours of deliberation.

“We need to be mindful that the taxpayer is not overly burdened. I would like to see it below 3 per cent,” Ward 3 Coun Scott Crone said.

While some councillors would have liked to the see the number lower, they were willing to move forward with the 2.8 per cent increase.

Ward 2 Coun. Roy-DiClemente said the budget had a pretty hefty salary increase, which provided a challenge. She wanted to see the number at 2.75, but was fine with 2.8; as was Ward 3 Coun. Cathy Morton.

Ward 1 Coun. Loralea Carruthers was all right with a larger tax levy increase.

“I think, if we cut too deeply, we are going to miss something that they want. I’m fine with the 3. 4 per cent,” Carruthers said. "We have to be careful that we aren’t shaving too deeply. “

A large priority in this year’s budget has been put on the town’s emergency services and the future of the Healthy Active Living Plaza, which will house the town’s first aquatics facility.

They both make up 0.5 per cent of a 1 per cent dedicated tax levy increase.

The money for emergency services is allocated to hire one firefighter in 2021 and 2022. The town has been using the dedicated levy increase for emergency services for several years, after it transitioned to a full-time fire service.

A year after the devastating fire that claimed the life of four members of the Dunsmuir family, the town started to invest heavily in its fire services.

That year, the town doubled its number of full-time firefighters to a total of 12, and passed a multi-year funding plan to boost its fire services over the long-term.

Currently, the town has 18 full-time firefighters, with a goal of reaching 20 by 2022.

Moving to 20 full-time firefighter crew allows for four rotating shifts of five firefighters.

The Health and Active Living Plaza, which will include a swimming pool in Queensville, isn’t likely to be ready until 2023 or 2024. But council is already planning it’s finances around operating the new facility.

Last year they started a multi-year program to stow away money for when it’s comes online.

According to the plan, there will be a dedicated tax levy increase of 0.5 per cent in 2019, 2020 and 2021, followed by a 1 per cent increase in 2022 and 2023.

Key pressures in the 2020 budget included $1.1 million in salaries and benefits, and a 1.95 per cent cost of living increase for town employees.

Big ticket capital items include the $16.3 Operation Centre, $1.2 million for the Health and Active Living Plaza architectural services, $1.1 million for the Mount Albert Community Centre Park redevelopment and $1.1 for the Queensville Park redevelopment.

The proposed operating budget is roughly $25.8 million, with the capital budget set at $11.8 million.