Pay Now Or Pay Later? Dryden Council Debates Tax Rate

A stalemate in the tax rate contained in what is being called a “very Conservative” 2015 Dryden Municipal Budget.
Council is split on whether to keep the status quo with no tax increase, or raise taxes by the cost of living which would be a maximum of 1.5%
Finance Chair Norm Bush is recommending no increase.
Bush says the City has gone through a 21.3% increase over the last three years.
He says they have to continue to look at reducing costs and stresses the City needs to know where they stand before asking taxpayers to pay more.
Bush says residents and business owners have told him and others that taxes should be kept to a minimum.
John Carlucci and Martin MacKinnon are also on his side.
Roger Valley says it’s already a barebones budget and not a lot work is going to be done.
Valley says a small increase now is a lot better than a large one down the road.
He notes the City needs some money to fix crumbling streets and sidewalks and stresses they need to start planning for the future.
Mary Trist and Ken Moss agree a small tax increase is needed.
Mayor Craig Nuttall is not tipping his hand on which way he will vote.
The road ahead is looking difficult for the City of Dryden.
The fiscal document is expected to be debated once again on Monday, although the capital budget is expected to be approved that day.
Net cash flow is expected to be $1.93-million this year, however that will drop to -$2.07-million in 2016 and -1.93-million in 2017.
The debt sits at almost $2.1-million right now, but for 2016 and 2017 the debt service is pegged at $4.17-million and $4.25-million respectively.
Reserves sit at $2.2-million but will drop to a deficit position by 2017.