Screen grab Nov. 22 council meeting. Lower right is Trent Hills Director of Finance and Treasurer Valerie Nesbitt who presented the draft budget.

County and Education Taxes Have Yet to be Added

Roads and urban services account for largest share of operating costs: $5.9 million

Article by John Campbell

Trent Hills - Tues., Dec 6, 2022 - The story’s the same every year, only the numbers change:
The first draft of next year’s municipal budget estimates residential property taxes will go up by 2.64 per cent.

That works out to an increase of $21.46 for every $100,000 of assessment.

For a residential property in Trent Hills assessed at $250,000 this year and next, the increase amounts to $53.67, making the new total $2,087.15.

Trent Hills Director of Finance and Treasurer Valerie Nesbitt used that as a example of the impact the draft budget prepared by staff could have on local taxpayers should the document be approved as proposed. Council got its first look at the budget in November and will go over it once more when it meets Dec. 13, after the public has had a chance to comment on its contents.

County and education taxes are not included in the preliminary estimates. Those numbers will be incorporated when the figures become available.

The target date for final approval is Jan. 10, 2023.

Of the $38.77 million the municipality proposes to spend next year $15.25 million will be paid for with local taxes. The balance, $23.52 million, will be funded through user fees, service charges, reserves, grants and external financing.

In her presentation to council Nesbitt listed several factors that were taken into account when the budget was put together. They included inflation, employee compensation (a 1.75 per cent cost of living adjustment and a 7.4 per cent increase in overall benefit carrier costs); updates to plans and studies the municipality is mandated to carry out (such as asset management, official plan, and development charges) and additional staffing levels (the equivalent of 1.5 full-time employment positions that will be allocated to parks and recreation, and corporate facilities).

Expenditures will be almost evenly divided between operating, $18.88 million, and capital, $18.76 million. The balance is taken up with transfers to and from reserves.

Roads and urban services, as usual, will account for the largest share of operating costs, $5.9 million.

Parks and recreation is third on the list of operating costs, at $2.4 million, behind policing (2.45 million) but its capital budget for next year is set to jump from $5.4 million in 2022 to $12.47 million, because of the Campbellford Recreation and Wellness Centre ($12 million). Reserves and financing will provide the bulk of the money needed ($8.2 million); grants totalling $3.79 million will make up the difference.

Roads and urban services is second on the list of capital expenditures, at $5.77 million. Ranney Street ($2 million) and Seymour Quarry Road ($1.5 million) are the two biggest ticket items, but Trent Hills will use grants and reserves to pay for them.

Third on the list is the resurfacing of roads ($1.2 million), half of which will require taxes to cover.

To view the draft municipal budget, go to https://www.trenthills.ca/en/municipal-office/resources/Budgets/2023-Draft-Municipal-Budget-2022-11-22.pdf.

To submit comments, go to https://forms.trenthills.ca/Municipal-Office/Budget-Comment-Forms/2023-Budget/2023-Draft-Municipal-Budget-Comments.