Budget talks start with 8.48% increase

Clearview Council got a first look at its 2013 budget Monday, during an introductory working session that saw staff present its proposed operating revenues and expenses for the year.

Council was also given staff’s proposed capital budget, with orders to go over the numbers in preparation for the next budget workshop, scheduled for Monday, January 14, during which staff will review that part of the budget with Council.

A third workshop, scheduled for Monday, January 28, will see Council make changes to the budget, in hopes of presenting a draft version at a public meeting on Monday, February 11. Public comments will be considered at a final workshop on Monday, March 4, paving the way for a final budget approval at the Monday, March 25 Council meeting.

As it stands, the current proposed budget includes a total Clearview Township levy increase of 8.48 per cent. Combined with a 0.61 per cent Simcoe County increase, approved at the end of November, and estimated OPP and Education increases of 071 per cent and 0 per cent respectively, the net tax increase for Clearview Township residents should the budget remain unchanged would be 3.66 per cent.

The majority of the Township’s 8.48 per cent increase currently lies on the operating side, with 7.71 per cent, or $771,364, more being required from this year’s levy than last year’s. More than half of that, an increase of $466,855, is required for the administration department, where several new projects are proposed to be funded by taxation. Those include the EDC branding project at $52,000, a pay equity review at $30,000 and municipal asset management plan public consultation at $20,000. Salaries, wages and benefits are set to increase by $121,241.

Elsewhere in the operating budget, the Clearview Fire Department is proposing hiring a part-time administrative assistant at a cost of $30,000 per year and a part-time fire prevention officer at $18,500 per year, and the Clearview Library is proposing keeping the Stayner branch open for an extra hour from Tuesday to Friday at a cost of $9,300 per year.

In total, the budget now calls for a $9.1 million municipal tax levy, with $7.3 million going to operating expenditures and $1.8 million to capital expenditures. That’s $957,155 more than last year. With the average Clearview residence now assessed at $250,750, that means the owner of a home worth that much would pay a tax bill of $2,844.16 this year, with $1,197.13 of that going to Clearview Township coffers and the rest being divided between Simcoe County, the Boards of Education and the OPP. That’s an increase of $100.47 over last year’s tax bill.

Monday’s meeting ended with several Councillors commenting that it was a “great start,” but that there was more work to be done.

“No one here is comfortable with an 8.48 per cent budget increase,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage.

Clearview Township is posting its budget documents here as it works through this year’s deliberations.