Georgina homeowners looking at 1.7% tax hike in 2014

Georgina services better than other like-size communities in York, CAO says

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 26, 2014
By Heidi Riedner

You could expect an extra $49 on your property tax bill if the town’s budget gets the stamp of approval from council later this month.

Senior staff presented its departmental capital and operating costs under an overall $62.9-million consolidated budget Tuesday night.

While that figure includes capital, operating, water and sewer costs, about $35.8 million will be derived from the tax levy.

That represents a 1.7-per-cent increase from last year, but after blending the rate with costs from the Region of York and school boards, the average impact to the taxpayer is 1.35 per cent based on an average home assessed at $293,500.

Last year’s budget resulted in a 1.14 per cent property tax increase for Georgina residents.

That added an extra $38.74 in property taxes per average household assessed at $270,000.

Just over $31 million was drawn from the tax levy to run the town last year.

As in previous years, staff salaries account for almost half of the total operating budget.

Coming in at $22.2 million, it represents 48 per cent of the budget.

Town treasurer and director of administrative services Rebecca Mathewson said that percentage has remained fairly consistent during the past few years and is in line with other surrounding municipalities of comparable size.

Based on those comparisons, CAO Winanne Grant said Georgina delivers more services per payroll dollar than like municipalities.

Staffing also includes proposals for new hires on the agenda, including two additional full-time firefighters deferred from the 2012 budget, a business retention and expansion manager for economic development, a forestry staff member to implement a strategy to deal with the Emerald Ash Borer infestation and a graphic artist for the communications department.

Similar to previous years, the operations and engineering, fire and emergency service and recreation and culture departments eat up the largest chunks of the town’s budgetary pie for 2014.

If approved as is, 39 cents of every dollar would go to fund operations and engineering costs.

About 90 projects in the neighbourhood of $9 million are on the books for the department alone, that will be paid for between the tax levy, gas tax, reserves and carry-forward dollars from last year’s budget, said Ms Grant.

Key items within the department include a hefty asset management plan and major retrofits of town facilities.

Transforming the former Sutton Public School on Dalton Road into a community hub will cost $1.8 million and be paid by federal grant money and money borrowed from the town’s own reserve funds.

Fire and emergency services account for 20 cents of every dollar, followed by 10 cents to recreation and culture.

Ms Mathewson said about $324,000 would need to be chopped from the budget to reflect a 1-per-cent decrease, in response to Ward 2 Councillor Phil Craig.

Residents can have a look at the draft budget on the town’s website at georgina.ca. It will be available by the end of the week.

Despite the town reaching out to the public for input regarding the budget process, public meetings and opportunities to address council in the past have failed to generate much response.

Until the 2014 budget is adopted, however, - tentatively scheduled for March 26 - the public is invited to provide input, comments and questions at all council meetings.