It’s not the 12% decrease some residents were asking for, but Puslinch councillors have followed through with election promises to lower township taxes.
On April 20, council approved its 2011 budget, including $4,823,950 in total expenditures and $1,990,634 in total revenue.
That leaves $2,833,316 to be raised through taxation – down 1.5% over last year’s tax levy.
However, due to increased assessment across the township, the average tax decrease for homeowners will be about 4 to 6%.
“Key priorities will continue to be protected,” Mayor Dennis Lever said in a press release. “I am very pleased with the effort from both council and staff and the results that the 2011 budget process has produced.”
During last fall’s election, current councillors took the previous council to task for approving a levy increase of 24.4%, which resulted in a township tax increase of about 12%. This year’s tax levy represents an increase of 22.6% over the 2009 levy.
The actual size of individual tax changes in 2011 for Puslinch residents will depend on the assessment from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).
But the average homeowner with a residence assessed at $417,000 will pay $759 in township taxes – down about 5.7% over last year, when the same home would have been worth $397,000 (using a 5% assessment increase in 2011) and township taxes would have been $805.
Due to increases in county taxes, the overall tax bill for Puslinch homeowners will increase marginally this year. In 2010, the total tax bill for the average homeowner above was $4,570, while the 2011 total will be about $4,583.
“Council spent four days in meetings reviewing past and proposed expenditures,” said Lever, noting the township is investing in a five-year capital plan for the first time.
“The new multi-year capital budgeting process that we have implemented clearly shows what we can expect in coming years. These changes will allow us to make informed spending choices as we move forward.”
Clerk and Treasurer Brenda Law added, “Council and staff worked diligently to streamline operations and reduce expenditures.”
Major expenditures in the 2011 budget include:
– $15,000 for upgrades to the council chamber (paint, chairs, and sound system);
– $25,000 for maintenance work at the Puslinch community centre (hall ceiling and painting);
– $28,000 for defibrillators, self-contained breathing apparatus and bunker gear for the fire department;
– $30,000 for roads project engineering;
– $90,000 for paving projects on Maltby Road and village streets in Morriston;
– $71,643 for contributions and donations to various groups;
– $100,000 for the removal of Stroy’s bridge (although council has yet to decide on a final course of action);
– $133,421 for levies paid to the Grand River ($106,277), Halton ($17,154) and Hamilton ($9,990) conservation authorities;
– $250,000 for a new plow truck;
– $315,000 to complete work on the Optimist Recreation Centre; and
– $317,800 transferred to roads reserves.
