The County of Renfrew has approved the 2020 budget. The annual budget workshop took place on Monday, January 27th. The budget includes investments in social housing, long-term care, the service delivery improvement project at the county administration building, roads, bridges, culverts and other construction. Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee, Bonnechere Valley Mayor Jennifer Murphy, says they approved a 2.5% increase to the municipal levy and adds staff were able to complete the budget workshop in one day.
The overall levy increase is actually 3.5%, but reflects 1% for growth, leaving the impact to taxpayers 2.5%. Staff were tasked with finding cost savings to offset $887,000 in provincial cuts to paramedic services, child care, long-term care, Renfrew County Housing Corporation and Ontario Works. Treasurer Jeff Foss says they were able to restrict operating expenses to a 1.7% increase. Foss says if council adopts the same policy decisions as last year, residents would face a tax rate increase of 0.6%, which works out to $2.12 per $100,000 of property assessment. A final decision on the tax rate is expected to be made in April.
