Open Meeting on the Budget – Notes by Steve Hadfield Jones
2004-03-29
The public meeting on the Mississippi Mills Budget for 2004 took place in the Arena on March 29th. The Mayor and senior staff made presentations based on a series of overheads, copies of which are available on the Town’s website.
They set out the broad budget numbers. Total taxes will go up by 2.67%. Assessment goes up by 14.3% but the tax rate drops from .388872% to .349091%. This relative small increase in taxes was made possible by significant cuts in the original budget estimates. Background on the assessment system was also provided.
The presentations set out some goals and priorities. These include a new Program Review Process and a greater emphasis on capital programs, including the development of a 10 year capital planning process.
The public reaction was dominated by a group of Lanark Landowners who were highly critical of paying for programs which did not f benefit them at a time when their incomes were declining and they had to pay more for fuel and hydro.
There were also a number of questions and complaints about the assessment system. The Mayor agreed that the system could be improved and encouraged members of the public who were badly affected to bring their concerns to the Town. He and Ed Wilson are urging County Council to limit their share of taxes by reducing their tax rate. They had tried to communicate with the School Boards for the same purpose but with little success.
At the same time there was an underlying sense of appreciation of the Councilors efforts to improve communications and public participation, and to improve the management of the township. Hopefully the share of the budget devoted to administration can be reduced.
A number of specific projects are included in the capital budget ”, such as the purchase of a new backhoe and improvements to Stewart Community Centre. A major issue of course will be the EA process for lagoons. Some questions were raised about the priority to be attached to the bridge on Riverwalk project. Paving of Perth, Country and Bridge streets was deferred until 2005. As yet the long term capital plan had not been developed to the point where an indication could be given of when reconstruction of Martin Street might begin. Required water testing was opposed by rural representatives. There was concern about the drinking water in Pakenham.
Other new initiatives include an Accommodation Committee. The use of the old Town Hall and the costs of maintenance will be examined. Another is a Business Retention and Expansion Program. In that context, there was a lot of concern about the small proportion of revenue coming from business. A third initiative is a Parking Review Committee.
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