Aurora bumps up town property taxes 1.96% in 2021

Capital expenses will include $30 million for Library Square, $9.9 million for a new fire hall

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 21, 2020
Lisa Queen

Aurora property owners will see the town portion of the property tax bill increase by 1.96 per cent in 2021 and by 2.9 per cent in 2022.

That works out to a $47 increase, or $4 a month, in 2021 for the average taxpayers with a home assessed at $800,000.

The 1.96 per cent tax increase for 2021 is 1.44 percentage points lower than what was first approved by council last year as part of a multi-year budget.

“I want to thank council and staff for their hard work throughout this budget process,” Mayor Tom Mrakas said in a statement after council approved the budget on Dec. 15.

He said “2020 has been difficult for many individuals and businesses in Aurora, and Canada-wide, and the team has worked to balance this harsh reality with our responsibility to continue to provide appropriate levels of municipal services.”

The 2021 operating budget gross expenditures are $102.1 million, including a tax levy of $52.1 million.

Of the 1.96 per cent tax increase for next year, 0.5 per cent is dedicated to maintaining town services and programs at current levels, the town said in a statement.

Another 0.46 per cent is going toward the town’s capital program and one per cent is allocated to the financing and operation of Library Square.

Although the town received requests from several residents to defer the Library Square expenditures, council did not approve the suggestions.

Coun. Rachel Gilliland had argued cutting the Library Square expenditures to 0.5 per cent would have “given residents a break” and made next year’s tax increase “less of a burden.”

The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have an impact on Aurora’s operations in 2021 and potentially into 2022, the town’s statement said.

For 2021, the town has offset an estimated financial hit of almost $780,000, primarily due to lost revenue.

“Staff will continue to monitor and report on the pandemic’s impacts to keep council informed and ensure that the organization remains agile in the face of changing circumstances,” the municipality said in its statement.

The town’s multi-year capital budget of $185.3 million is made up of $161.2 million in previously approved spending and $24.1 million in new spending.

About $80.3 million of that will be spent this year, including $30 million for Library Square, $9.9 million for a new firehall and $3.7 million for Hallmark Lands baseball diamonds.

“There is no doubt that 2020 was a year that called on us as municipal and community leaders to find new ways of doing business,” chief administrative officer Doug Nadorozny said.

“The 2021 budget reflects the reality that we will need to continue to innovate in the pursuit of excellent service delivery, even more so during these unprecedented times. This budget gives us the resources to continue to deliver at the levels expected by council and the community.”