Final Budget Sees Taxes Going Up 5.25%

After 7-draft budgets, numerous meetings and plenty of cutting, the 2009 Municipal Budget has been released.
Dryden Council received the final document Monday night.
Residents will be facing a 5.25% tax increase.
The tax rate for the commercial sector will jump by about 3%.
The budget also contains a 10% increase to water and sewer charges and hikes to garbage bag tags and tipping fees.
The balanced budget features no cuts to service, no new vehicles for City Departments and no increase in staffing levels.
City Manager Arie Hoogenboom says balancing the books was difficult thanks to the decrease in taxes the City will collect from Domtar.
Hoogenboom says last year, they lost half a million dollars in tax revenue and they built in another $500,000 loss this year.
He notes says the tax hike still doesn’t take into account inflation and increased costs from outside agency’s.
The budget features 31-capital projects, totaling just under $39-million..
Councilor Brian Collins says he won’t support the budget when it comes up for a vote next Monday.
Collins says he’s concerned Policing costs have increased, even though revenue is down 64%.
He also believes a portion of $450,000 set aside in reserves for capital projects should be used to bring down the tax rate.
Collins is also concerned Council’s budget is up 5% and funding for the Dryden Development Corporation is up 37%.