On Wednesday night, in its last regularly scheduled meeting before the new year, Innisfil council approved the 2021-22 budget, giving residential ratepayers a zero per cent blended property tax increase in 2021.
In the final draft that came before council, staff dealt with a number of requests made by councillors during earlier talks:
* Coun. Donna Orsatti had asked that staff consider moving forward with proposed repairs to the public washrooms at Innisfil Beach Park, noting that the facilities were in disrepair. A staff review concluded “the project can be moved into 2021 without negatively impacting the town’s ability to deliver the 2021 capital program.”
* A proposed tree assessment budget led to a request from councillors that staff work with InnPower to find synergies and efficiencies, in dealing with hazard trees. Staff confirmed that InnPower is already engaged in the process, and that staff will continue to look for efficiencies, to manage the cost of the capital project.
* Council objected to cutting $159,000 from the budget for gravel road resurfacing. Staff did not recommend any further cuts to find the extra dollars, but proposed using the property tax rate stabilization reserve to make up the difference, and leave the tax increase at zero.
* Council rejected the idea of introducing platooning among volunteer firefighters at the Cookstown Fire Station, in part because Barrie central dispatch has indicated that it does not have the capacity to introduce platooning at this time, and partly because of the potential impact on the volunteers. Platooning would have saved only $36,500 in the operating budget; staff recommended using the property tax rate stabilization reserve to make up the funds.
Staff also confirmed there is sufficient funding available to continue the fire inspector contract for 2021-22. The position, which would have lapsed in April, was identified as an important safety measure by councillors.
The requests from council would have added $262,442 to the 2021 operating budget of $38.088 million – but the recommendations of staff maintained the zero per cent blended impact on the residential property tax. The balance remaining in the property tax rate stabilization reserve was identified as $3.5 million.
The budget approved also limits the tax hike in 2022 to one per cent.
As the report to council noted, “the blended tax rate of zero per cent in 2021 and one per cent in 2022 provides Innisfil property owners with some of the lowest tax increases in memory,” as well as providing property owners “with some immediate financial relief and certainty during this unprecedented COVID-19 global pandemic.”
However, the report also notes that the low rate increases are “not sustainable” beyond 2022.
Just before the final vote on the revised budget, Orsatti raised one last issue: the state of the islands and meridians on Innisfil Beach Road in Alcona.
Orsatti noted that the islands are “in very poor state of repair,” with broken bricks, and poorly maintained plantings. “It’s something we need to get more information on.”
She asked that staff investigate the repair or replacement of the medians, and come back to council with possible costs and funding options.
For those driving on Innisfil Beach Road, she said, “our first impression should not be crumbling brick.”
She was supported by Coun. Alex Waters, who noted that he had raised the issue of repairs two years ago, and “nothing’s been done.”
“I don’t want to see them disappear. I want to see them repaired," Waters added. "They are becoming an eyesore, and we need to do something about it.”
Councillors supported the request for information on the Innisfil Beach Road islands and then unanimously approved the 2021-22 operating and capital budgets.
“Kudos to staff,” said Mayor Lynn Dollin, for bringing in the town’s first zero per cent blended tax rate hike.
She noted that the next regularly scheduled meeting of council will take place on Jan. 13, 2021, promising no special meetings in the interim “unless the sky is falling.”
To see the final report, click here.
