Blind River council has approved its 2021 budget after a brief online meeting this evening to look at the preliminary budget presented by treasurer Sue Dent.
As part of the budget process, ratepayers will see a two percent increase in taxes this year.
“The 2021 total capital budget is $2.3 million with $1.4 million funded from the tax levy. The balance is funded from grants and reserves,” Dent told ElliotLakeToday.
“The total operating budget is $10.1 million,” she said. “We are looking at a two percent increase to the tax rate which works out to an increase of $36 per $100,000 of assessed value.”
Some of the expenditures for this year include some $1,094.416 for administration up from $1,001,875, in 2020, mayor and council remuneration at $174,740 up from $117,462.53, economic development will go up to $166,118 from $80,132, fire will see a rise to $138,410, $236,440 for road maintenance of unpaved and paved. Garbage collection will rise to $170,000.00 from $163,874.28 last year.
Mayor Sally Hagman marked the budget approval in her address to council also.
“Tonight marks a milestone in the budgetary process for Council to pass the 2021 Capital and Operating Budget. This process started back on Oct. 7, 2020 when our Treasurer, Sue Dent gave Council an overview of the critical path required to meet the proposed budget deadlines.
Since that date, the town’s CAO, directors, managers and staff have worked diligently with our treasurer to meet each milestone along with Council,” the mayor said. “Tonight will provide the final piece of the budgetary puzzle,” she said.
She also noted the work of town employees and residents during the pandemic.
“2020 wasn’t an easy year on many platforms as COVID-19 gave us a curve ball of pandemic proportions. It’s hard to believe that a year ago today marked the first COVID-19 in Canada and 12 months later, we are dealing with the outbreaks and losses of loved ones.
We are all so very grateful to our frontline staff in health care, retail and all service delivery workers. Our municipal staff have been incredibly resourceful and we thank them for going being above and beyond in meeting our service delivery objectives.”
Editor's note: Some of the operational budget numbers have been updated and clarified by treasurer Sue Dent here.