Senior staff in Dryden have been told to go back to the drawing board to bring the 2022 tax rate down.
A 4.15% tax hike was included in the draft Municipal budget but some on Council still aren’t ready for that kind of an increase.
Martin MacKinnon says he was prepared to approve the fiscal document as is.
“I’m the first guy that would stand in there and I have for years and fought about a tax increase but you reach a point in time where you can not resist that. You are stifling the City’s ability to move ahead.”
MacKinnon points out, “You folks, and I’ve heard you all talk about strategic plan and how we have to conform to this strategic plan. I’ve had to go out there and sell that to the residents as to why that’s important to this community. If you don’t fulfill those promises you’ve made you are letting the City and this community down.”
He stresses more revenue is needed to meet those strategic goals.
“I’ve had lot’s of people tell me ‘Why aren’t you increasing our taxes to pay for some of this stuff’. Well why aren’t we. It’s the time. It’s appropriate. Inflation is at a 15 or 20 year high. You can’t expect people that we employ to continue to find other money when its not there.”
MacKinnon adds, “It’s the time to step forward. It’s the time to start and pay for the strategic plan. We got a lot of stuff we want to do. It costs money guys.”
It’s been a couple of years since ratepayers have seen a tax increase.
Options on the table for staff to find savings include removing operation allocations to reserves, using reserves to fund capital projects, debt, or service level reductions.
All on council have agreed not to pursue cuts to service levels.
The budget isn’t expected to be approved until February.
