Budget Committee recommends 1.7 per cent overall tax increase

Mon, 23 Mar 2015

Proposed budget to go to Council for approval on Monday, March 30, 2015

Achieving Council’s direction to keep the total property tax increase in line with inflation, Oakville’s 2015 Budget Committee has recommended a 2.79 per cent total increase to the town’s portion of the tax bill. This recommendation will go before Council for approval on Monday, March 30, 2015. If approved, Oakville residents would see an overall increase to their property tax bill of 1.7 per cent in 2015 including the approved region increase and estimated education tax rates.

The 2015 Budget Committee also recommended that the overall property tax increases for 2016-2018 be in line with inflation.

The proposed increase to the town’s portion of the tax bill includes a 1.63 per cent increase for the costs of providing town programs and services, and a 1.16 per cent increase in funding for infrastructure renewal.

“This recommended budget strikes a healthy balance between offering valued services and programs, making strategic investments in infrastructure and community priorities, and keeping the overall tax increase below local inflation. In fact, the town’s overall 1.7 per cent increase is lower than the increases of our neighbouring municipalities including Toronto’s,” said 2015 Budget Chair Councillor Tom Adams. “We are spending wisely so we are well positioned for the future. Residents will see continued investments in our infrastructure and maintenance of our high quality programs. We are also building a healthy reserve to mitigate unforeseen events.”

The recommended $461 million combined budget for the town’s operating and capital requirements will provide over 60 wide ranging programs and services including winter road maintenance, parks and trails, harbours, transit, emergency services, recreation and culture, senior services, libraries, and keeping the town’s roads and other infrastructure in a state of good repair. Some of the top capital projects in this year’s budget are:

• $7.1 million for road resurfacing and preservation
• $5.9 million for reconstruction of the Rebecca Street Bridge
• $5.3 million for reconstruction of Sixth Line north of Dundas Street
• $3.9 million for the town’s Emerald Ash Borer Management Program
• $2.9 million for the replacement of old Oakville Transit buses
• $2 million for improvements to portions of the North Service Road
• $1.8 million for Bronte Harbour dredging
• $1.8 million for improvements to Speers Road
• $1.7 million for west shore landscape rehabilitation at Sixteen Mile Creek
• $1.7 million to replace aging roads and works equipment
• $975,000 for design and preliminary work towards the rehabilitation of Oakville Arena

“Providing the programs and services our residents need and want in a fiscally sustainable manner is Council’s most important objective. Over the past seven years staff has worked hard at finding efficiencies – to do more, with less,” said Mayor Burton. “Looking ahead, the town will continue to find value through innovation and transformation. We will continue with performance-based, program-based budgeting, otherwise known as PB2, to ensure the efficiency of the money we spend.”

Residents who wish to appear before Council as a delegate at the March 30, 2015, meeting should register by emailing townclerk@oakville.ca or calling 905-815-6015. The meeting will be held in Council Chamber at Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road and is open to the public.