Average Newmarket homeowner can expect a tax increase of $54 in 2018
The Town of Newmarket approved a 2.99 per cent tax increase for the 2018 operating and capital budgets

YorkRegion.com
Dec 12, 2017
Teresa Latchford

The average Newmarket homeowner can expect to see a $54 tax hike in 2018.

The Town of Newmarket approved a 2.99 per cent tax increase for the 2018 operating and capital budgets. Based on a property assessment value of $508,750, residents will see an increase of $53.75 on the town portion of their tax bill, a water/wastewater rate increase of $67.71 and a stormwater rate increase of $3.72.

“Council and staff have worked hard to preserve our current levels of service, while ensuring we are investing in our long-term future,” Mayor Tony Van Bynen said. “By working together, we were able to achieve a reasonable rate while maintaining services and ensuring we remain one of the best places to live in Canada.”

The budget concentrated on three themes: developing corridors and community, managing assets and maintaining service levels and cultivating innovation and growth.

Residents were invited to play the put-your-money-where-it-matters game, an opportunity to submit comments to the town.

More than 500 residents gave their input and 47 per cent of those who participated indicated managing assets and maintaining service levels as the priority that mattered most. About 22 per cent of participants supported cultivating innovation and growth, 21 per cent developing corridors and community and 10 per cent selected the other category as their highest priorities.

The budget also includes an additional $418,099 to boost the asset replacement fund created to ensure there is money when the town’s assets need repairing or replacing.

“Sustainability and affordability are important to the members of our community and we are pleased that we were able to keep the tax rate under three per cent, while still investing in our asset replacement fund and making provisions for the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act,” Regional Coun. John Taylor said.

The budget also includes townwide phased-in sidewalk snow clearing program, traffic-management initiatives, playground and facility upgrades, Haskett Park Trail construction, creation of the Davis Drive breathing space, increased lighting of pathways, trails and sports fields, trail expansion and the hiring four additional firefighters and two bylaw officers.