GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—Gordon/Barrie Island council has approved a budget increase this year.
“We are looking at a three percent increase in our budget,” said Reeve Lee Hayden, at a Gordon/Barrie Island council meeting last week. “When you look at the costs that we as a municipality have no control of that have increased significantly, for instance, our policing requisition has gone up from $122,000 to $176,000 (last year), which is a 25 percent increase.”
“Our requisition for ambulance service through the District Services Board has gone up from $203,00 last year to $216,000, which is over a six percent increase,” continued Reeve Hayden. “Our requisition for social housing increased by 13 percent this year from $68,000 to $77,000. And there is also an increase in our costs for Public Health Sudbury and District.”
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“With all these increases we are still only looking at an overall municipal increase of three percent,” said Reeve Hayden. “We have a pretty sound, tight budget. I don’t think our ratepayers will have too much merit to complain with the cost of everything increasing.”
The budget increase of three percent, “is basically the same as the cost-of-living increase,” stated Councillor Jack Bould.
Carrie Lewis, CAO/clerk of the municipality explained the “three percent increase in the municipal tax levy will work out to be between $20-35 dollars per household depending on their property assessment. And three percent gives council a little room with $100,000 to go into reserves.”
