Pandemic allows for 0% tax increase for Georgina residents in 2022

What you need to know about town’s proposed budget, 1% reserve levy

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 8, 2021
Amanda Persico

Georgina recently issued its draft 2022 budget, which proposes a zero per cent tax increase with the option to add a one per cent reserve levy.

How can Georgina afford a 0 per cent tax increase?
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the town will end 2021 with an above-average surplus. The town received a number of federal and provincial grants to aid in recovery. Not to mention, there was a reduction in recreation programs and the town's recreation staff was redeployed to the mass COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Georgina Ice Palace.

How much will this cost me?
Adding the one per cent levy for reserve funds would amount to an additional $21 on the town portion of your property taxes. That is based on the averaged assessed, non-waterfront home valued at $402,995.

How much is the reserves levy?
If approved, the one per cent reserve levy amounts to $9.6 million for town reserves.

What is the operating budget?
The 2022 operating budget -- funds used to operate the town -- is about $78 million, which includes $9.6 million toward reserve funding and $37.3 million in salaries and benefits for town and library staff -- 48 per cent of the town’s operating budget.

The primary funding source for the town’s operating budget stems from $47 million in property taxes; $15.4 in water and wastewater rates; $9.4 million in user fees and other revenues; $3 million in user fees; $3.2 million from reserves.

How much is the 2022 capital budget?
The 2022 draft capital budget sits at about $31.9 million.

The capital budget is funded by $20.7 million cash flow for the Multi-Use Recreation Centre; $7 million from reserves; $1.8 million in federal grants; $1.4 million in provincial grants; and $1 million in development charges.

What’s included in the 2022 capital budget?
The budget includes the following projects:

$2.3 million -- roads: resurfacing, maintenance and rehabilitation;

$1.9 million -- water and wastewater infrastructure;

$1.1 million -- Emerald Ash Borer tree removal;

$850,000 -- rescue pumper fire truck;

$756,000 -- town facilities: repairs, condition assessments and remediation;

$600,000 -- culvert and ditches;

$270,000 -- IT projects.

What are community groups asking for in the 2022 budget?
$110,000 -- Georgina Centre for the Arts and Culture;

$83,000 -- Georgina Chamber of Commerce;

$55,000 -- Routes Transportation;

$50,000 -- Georgina Trades Training Inc.;

$24,000 -- Georgina Military Museum; and

$8,000 -- Georgina Farmers Market.

When will the budget be finalized?
The draft budget will be discussed in council Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, with final approval expected Dec. 1.

For more information, visit georgina.ca/budget. Hard copies of the budge will be available at all three branches of the Georgina Public Library.