Adjala-Tosorontio eyeing 3.3% tax levy hike

By Brad Pritchard Alliston Herald

ADJALA-TOSORONTIO – Adjala-Tosorontio is continuing to work through its 2015 budget.The township is currently considering a 3.3 per cent hike to the levy.

This increase would add another $49 on the municipal tax bill for the owner of an average home worth $400,886.

“We are looking at providing the services at minimal cost, we have fixed costs we don’t have control over,” said Mayor Mary Small Brett.

Increasing OPP costs and insurance rates, along with a 20 per cent reduction in provincial grants, are some of the major financial pressures facing the municipality.

Township treasurer Janet Sherwood said the capital budget has been approved at $757,000, with a majority of the money to be spent on road paving and improvement projects.

Other expenditures that have been given the green light include upgrades to the baseball parks in Lisle and Everett, new public works equipment, new portable radios and breathing apparatus for the fire department, fleet replacement and ongoing water infrastructure improvements.

Council has yet to approve the operating budget.

A public meeting to discuss the budget has been tentatively set for Monday, March 9 starting at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers

This year’s budget also includes the township’s strategic plan, which was a key item for Small Brett during the election campaign.

The $10,000 plan will be done in-house and is slated to be completed later this year.

Small Brett said meetings will be set up shortly between council, staff and residents, to come up with a plan that will shape how the township grows in the years ahead.

“It is to give a voice to everyone in the township and the direction they want to go, knowing that there will be compromises,” she said.