CORNWALL, Ontario – The United Counties of SD&G Council passed a small decrease to the 2021 draft budget from the previous year.
At their budget meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17, Council approved a draft tax rate decrease of 0.74 per cent from the previous year. The 2021 United Counties draft budget is approximately $57 million.
The average home in the United Counties is valued at $221,633, will be paying $1,281.63 in taxes this year, a 0.22 per cent decrease, or a savings of $2.77.
Despite the tax decrease, the United Counties’ budget is actually $2.2 million bigger this year than it was in 2020. Of that $2.2 million increase, $1.2 million is due to COVID-19 related costs, which are offset through funding provided by the provincial government.
The remaining $1 million increase in the 2021 was offset thanks to more money than originally expected being transferred to reserves in 2020. That reserve funding has been used to pay for various projects that would have otherwise have been funded from the tax base.
Some projects that were added to the budget included $11,300 to the budget of the Economic Development Department, $180,000 to fill-in half of the ditch on the north side of County Rd. 18 near St. Andrews West, $40,000 for the mental health nurse partnership with the OPP, and a $940 donation to the Royal Canadian Legion.
Councillors at the very least were in favour of not seeing a tax increase in the 2021 budget.
“I’d like us to stay at a zero. I think it would be prudent given the economics of COVID,” said Councillor Carma Williams, Deputy Mayor of North Glengarry.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rebecca (Russell Director of Financial Services), Tim (Simpson Chief Administrative Officer) and all the staff and the team. They put together a great budget,” said Warden Frank Prevost.
The budget will come back to Council in March for a final vote.
