New Tec OKs 6.38% levy increase

By Maija Hoggett Simcoe.com Feb 12, 2013

NEW TECUMSETH – After over a month of debating the details of New Tecumseth’s 2013 budget, council has approved a 6.38 per cent tax levy increase this year.

While the package doesn’t include the much-debated fulltime fire staff, council did add an additional $197,000 for the retention and recruitment of volunteer firefighters.

For the owner of the average $305,891 home, this year’s tax levy hike will mean paying an additional $86.34 in taxes, including Simcoe County and education taxes.

For water and wastewater, rates for residential users are moving from $1.66 per cubic metre to $1.74 per cubic metre. Staff anticipates that for the average user this will mean spending about $2.40 to $4.80 more per month.

Similar to past meetings, the fire department dominated the discussion this week.

Early in January, Fire Chief Dan Heydon requested six fulltime fire staff to work weekdays during business hours when the department has challenges meeting provincial response standards with its volunteer contingent.

At last night’s meeting, Hank Williams, the district chief of Station 1 in Alliston, and Dave Krawiec, the district chief for Station 3 in Tottenham, spoke to council and gave their support for the addition of fulltime staff.

“We will never stop recruiting volunteers, but times have changed,” Krawiec said.

The district chiefs’ speeches weren’t enough to sway council, with the majority remaining opposed to adding fulltime fire staff.

After voting against the fulltime fire contingent, council did add in additional money for recruitment and retention of the volunteers.

The budget includes continuing infrastructure projects started in previous years, including the expansion of the Parsons Road reservoir, work at the Mill Street Pumping station. Trail signage and New Tecumseth trail development is also a priority.

Some of the other items included in the 2013 budget are:

• $40,000 for a dividing curtain for the New Tecumseth Recreation Complex, which is being funded through the hydro electric (HEC) reserve;

• $62,500 for the Alliston Memorial Arena from the HEC reserve, the project is part of a funding partnership and the federal government is matching the money;

• $153,780 for roadwork on the 11th Line from 20th Sideroad east to the town limit;

• $312,950 for roadwork on the 15th Sideroad from the 2nd Line to 3rd Line;

• $329,450 for work on the 9th Line starting 1.3 km east of 10th Sideroad to 15th Sideroad;

• $412,500 for sidewalks and streetlights on Mackenzie Pioneer Road, which will be funded from development charges.

The full budget package is available online at www.town.newtecumseth.on.ca.

New Tecumseth Free Press February 12, 2013 

Councillors approved a 2013 budget last night that increases operating expenditures to approximately $30 million, and will require a levy of $22.24 million to finance, resulting in a tax increase for municipal purposes of $94.23, or 6.38 per cent more than last year on a home with an average assessed value of $305,891.

Simcoe County’s projected average increase will add $9.31 to the 2013 tax bill, but a projected decrease in education taxes of $17.20 lowers the bottom line overall hit to $86.42, or 2.78 per cent over last year.

The capital budget is $18.3 million, most of which are carryover projects. DCs will cover $7.2 million of the costs, $3.6 million from “other” reserves, and about $6.4 million in new long term debt raising the total principal amount to approximately $70 million. The new debentures include:

– 2013 Road Upgrade program – $1.6 million;

– Fire Vehicles (Fire Tanker and Rescue Truck) – $.5 million;

– Alliston WWTP upgrades – $2.3 million (future DCs);

– Parsons Road Reservoir project – $2.0 million (future DCs).

The Water/Wastewater budget is $13 million. Water and Wastewater rates are increasing from $1.66 to $1.74 per cubic meter beginning April 1, 2013.