Fee increases on the way in New Tec

By Maija Hoggett Alliston Herald

NEW TECUMSETH – New Tecumseth council is poised to approve fee increases for marriage licenses, burning permits, and more.

The mostly minor adjustments have been suggested by staff to bring the town in-line with neighbouring, or similarly sized, municipalities. Parks, Recreation, and Culture fees are not included, however a report looking at recreation fees is expected to be brought to council in February.

If approved, marriage licenses will be $120, which is a $15 increase to “recover costs of administration staff time” and other related costs.

For burning permits, it’s being suggested to rename it the outdoor wood burning appliance permit and up the cost from $25 to $30 to recover administrative costs and site inspections.

Priority service for tax certificate requests would almost double, jumping from $45 to $85. The fee would only affect people asking for the tax certificate within 24 hours of the request.

The final adjustment is for replacing a green bin. There is already a fee to replace a blue bin, however there is no set cost to replace the organics bin. Staff is suggesting a $15 fee for residents looking to replace or buy an additional green bin.

The staff report notes residents can take a broken bin to a Simcoe County landfill site for a free replacement. New residents can also contact the county to arrange for delivery of free curbside bins.