Quinte West council will see a proposed 2018 operating budget at its meeting Monday, and it won’t feature a big tax increase.
Staff will present a budget with a 1.85% tax increase for homeowners in all four wards.
On an average house assessed at $217,000 in Quinte West, the increase would add around $50 to the local tax bill a year.
Meanwhile, the budget shows a tax increase of 24% on farm properties. However, staff say that while the percentage increase seems
very high, the actual average dollar amount is not, as it works out to just $7.20 a month.
By comparison staff say the low residential increase of 1.85% works out to an extra $4.20 a month.
Also in a report to council, Director of Corporate and Financial Services David Clazie says all previous service levels will be maintained while at
the same time funding will be increased to completely cover the cost of public and specialized transit to prepare for expansion.
The draft budget also includes $50,000 to be given to the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation to help defray the costs associated
with the recently formed Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee.
There is also $40,000 included for the possibility that two new doctors might sign on to the longstanding city doctor recruitment program.
Also in the budget is money to fund a detailed study of water quality in Oak Lake totaling $100,000.
Quinte West council will hold a special meeting Monday at 6 o’clock at city hall.
