• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The NOTL Local

  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Current Edition
  • Buy Membership
  • Membership Offers
  •  
Home / News / Budget gets first nod with 4.48 per cent tax hike

Budget gets first nod with 4.48 per cent tax hike

February 6, 2019 by Penny Coles News

The Town budget has passed its first round of approval, with an increase to the tax levy below target.

At the beginning of the discussion Monday evening, the rise over last year’s budget was at about 5.1 per cent, above the 4.5 per cent cap council had requested.

But with a few tweaks agreed to by councillors, they approved a 4.48 per cent tax hike over last year.

With a tax increase of 4.4 per cent, the increase for a house assessed at $485,000 is $44, a $750,000 assessment would see a hike of $68 and a $1-million home would have taxes raised by $90.

To help achieve that level, there was good news from the library: a provincial grant that was in doubt came through, with an additional $10,000, reducing the town budget by that amount.

The Niagara Historical Society had asked for an additional $51,000, and treasurer Kyle Freeborn offered some alternatives for funding that. Councillors agreed to pay for it out of the parking reserve rather than the tax base, further lowering the tax increase.

Councillors also agreed to defer the Byron Street parking meters and remove that capital investment from the 2019 budget, with the intention of taking a holistic look at parking in the  heritage district for next year.

The increases requested from the NOTL Chamber of Commerce, the Niagara District Airport and Niagara College were approved. 

Coun. Clare Cameron asked for and received approval for lowering the rent of the former hospital building for Royal Oak Community School to about $6,000, bringing it to the level of last year and offering some relief for the registered charity.

Coun. Allan Bisback thanked town staff for their efforts, “working day and night” to put the budget together. “I think you learned a lot. We learned a lot too,” he said. 

He also thanked treasurer Kyle Freeborn for “excellent work.”

Council will ratify the budget Monday.

Primary Sidebar

Upcoming Events

  1. Rhyme Time

    March 9 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Looking for something fun to do with your tots?  Come sing, move and have fun with Debbie, live on Zoom!  https://notlpubliclibrary.org For details and registration please visit:  https://zcu.io/7yYn

  2. NOTL Historical Museum Online Lecture

    March 10 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    “Not All Women are Saints”  A Zoom presentation by Shawna Butts.   Visit www.nhsm.ca to register or email contact@nhsm.ca for more information.

  3. MINECRAFT

    March 10 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

    Join us for a virtual meet-up in our very own NOTL Library Realm! Not a member of our Realm yet? No problem!  Send an email to notllibrary@gmail.com with your username and we will add you!

  4. Dishin’ the Dirt with Betty

    March 11 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

    Ah winter, without you spring would not be so sweet.  As our thoughts turn to spring and our gardens, we invite you to join us as we look out from under the snow at what will become our spring gardens.  Let’s chat about what we need to do to get our gardens ready for the planting […]

  5. Rhyme Time

    March 16 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Looking for something fun to do with your tots?  Come sing, move and have fun with Debbie, live on Zoom!  https://notlpubliclibrary.org For details and registration please visit:  https://zcu.io/7yYn

View All Events

Footer

About Us

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Local and notllocal.com were established in 2018 to be your community newspaper. We hope you will think of us as The Local, representing the heart and soul of the community you call home.

I want to…

  • Send a letter to the editor
  • Submit a community event
  • Advertise with The Niagara-on-the-Lake Local

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

© 2021 · Site Design and Hosting by The GDC Group