Clearview enters budget process with 2% overall increase

Clearview councillors sat through their first 2019 budget workshop on Monday afternoon. 

Council members are working their way through a staff proposed budget with a municipal increase of 3.2 per cent. They are tasked with tweaking the budget to suit them before presenting it at a public meeting on Feb. 11.

The $46.1 million budget includes $27.9 million in the operating expenses and $18.1 million in capital spending.

Although the municipal increase is starting at 3.2 per cent, Clearview treasurer Edward Henley takes into account policing, county and education taxes, which are collected by the municipality on behalf of those bodies. He estimates a net residential tax increase of 2 per cent.

Based on the average home assessed at $293,334, owners would see a $63 increase in their annual tax bill for a total tax bill of $3,236: $1,652 to Clearview; $277 for policing (OPP); $828 for Simcoe County; and $479 for school boards.

Henley reported on Jan. 7, approximately 75 per cent of the 3.20 per cent municipal increase is due to four major initiatives: $114,500 increase in capital funding for Parks & Rec., $88,194 in Clearview Youth Centre costs including staff, $84,000 increase to reserves, and $60,000 to start a bus route connecting Creemore considering it would start halfway through the year.

The next budget workshop is set for 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 and the Feb. 11 public meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Both meeting will take place at the Clearview Administration Centre, located at 217 Gideon St. in Stayner.  

The 2019-2023 corporate budget package can be viewed online at www.clearview.ca/home/budget.