East Gwillimbury passes 2.8% tax increase for 2020
The average homeowner will be paying $45 more in 2020.
Yorkregion.com
December 24, 2019
Simon Martin
East Gwillimbury approved the 2020 operating, capital and development fee-supported budget Dec. 17, and your taxes are going up about $45 for the average homeowner, with the tax increase coming in at 2.8 per cent.
Mayor Virginia Hackson was pleased with the overall budget.
“It was important to council to ensure that the increase required to continue the existing programs and services be aligned with the rate of inflation,” she said. “We understand there are rising costs of business, and we accommodate that through our taxes, but we are also mindful of our residents’ bottom line.”
Public deliberation meetings began in October, and allowed the public and community groups an opportunity to provide feedback and meet with council to discuss the 2020 budget. As a result of the meetings, the budget committee was able to reduce the proposed tax levy increase to a total of 2.8 per cent, down from 3.6 per cent.
The approved budget focuses on the following main areas:
- Programs and services: A 1.8 per cent increase, or $29 for the average homeowner, maintains base programs and services at their current service level.
- Community safety: A 0.5 per cent dedicated increase, which is $8 for the average homeowner, supports council’s multi-year funding plan for hiring firefighters.
- Multi-year funding for new town facilities: A 0.5 per cent dedicated increase, which is $8 for the average homeowner, provides funding for the operation of the future Health & Active Living Plaza.
Highlights of the 2020 budget include funding for road rehabilitation work and sidewalk repairs; bridge repairs on Oriole Drive; construction of a sidewalk along Highway 48 in Mount Albert; paving of the Nokiidaa Trail parking lot at Yonge Street and Mount Albert Road; Phase 2 of renovations to the Mount Albert library branch. For more information about the 2020 budget, please visit www.eastgwillimbury.ca/budget.
