Sioux Lookout Residents Facing 2.9% Tax Increase

The Municipality of Sioux Lookout continues to work on the 2016 capital and operating budget. An update was provided Wednesday night and right now staff are looking at a 2.9% tax increase. This doesn’t please the Zero Percent Tax Increase Coalition and spokesperson Jason Bailey. The group made a delegation to Council at the meeting and Bailey stresses the questions they were asking weren’t answered. Bailey adds pre-submitted questions and comments weren’t reviewed or answered before the start of the meeting. The Coalition recommended various cuts and moving more items into reserves in order to achieve a zero percent tax hike. Bailey says they have noticed a really high increase in wages and benefits and believe staff are expanding, while the community remains static. He stresses they will be looking at how by-laws are structured to find a way for their voices to be heard. Town CAO Ann Mitchell says they can understand the concerns from the group. Mitchell says they do have higher taxes but staff and council are doing their best to bring more industrial and commercial development into the community. She notes they are faced with another of issue impacting the 2016 budget, including high policing costs. Mitchell points out they are still working with the province on their concerns. The decision Wednesday was to direct staff to produce a bylaw to officially approve the budget.