County CAO suggests better ‘optics’ would result from merging tax and waste levies:
By Andrew Philips Midland Mirror Nov 05, 2012
SIMCOE COUNTY – The time is nigh for County of Simcoe councillors to vote on combining the general tax and waste levies into one item on the tax bill.
That’s the message from county CAO Mark Aitken as he and other staff outlined their needs last week for the coming year, which would see county taxes increase by two per cent to maintain existing service levels while also expanding services to a larger population.
During a 2013 budget session at the county’s Midhurst offices, Aitken urged councillors to fold the two bills together since it would create better “optics” for ratepayers by producing what would appear to be a lower tax hit next year.
Without merging the two levies, taxpayers could see an increase of two per cent on the county portion of their tax bills next year, while the waste levy would drop 7.7 per cent. By combining the pair, the actual increase comes in at 0.37 per cent.
“The amalgamation of the levies would make it more transparent,” Aitken said, adding taxpayers would likely appreciate seeing a lower increase in the overall scheme of things. “It could be a very good-news story for them.”
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