Note – Since publication of this story Wednesday, SDG Counties council settled on a 4.36 per cent property tax increase. Details on this will be in the December 13 edition of The Leader.
CORNWALL – SDG Counties councillors will begin deliberations on December 6 on the draft 2024 budget that calls for a 5.49 per cent tax increase. The draft budget, if approved as-is, will result in a $33.51 tax increase for every $100,000 in assessed value for a residential home. Residential tax rates were increased 3.71 per cent in 2023.
The Counties’ total taxation proposed is $58.8 million for 2024, with expenses proposed at $86 million. Taxation accounts for 69 per cent of the total revenue needed for SDG next year.
Federal and provincial funding cuts to the Counties are part of the reason for the proposed tax increase in the draft budget, along with increased spending. The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund from the province was cut a further 15 per cent as part of a long term reduction by the Ontario government. That amounts to nearly $90,000 less funding from the province. Municipal Property Assessment Corporation assessments remain frozen at 2016 levels.
The draft budget has a net change in expenses of $3.645 million. Shared services accounts for 46.1 per cent of the total increase in expenses ($1.68 million) due to an increase in Land Ambulance costs and increases to housing. About $190,000 of this increase is for a possible levy increase for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
Transportation department spending – which accounts for 51 per cent of the total SDG budget – will increase by over $700,000 in 2024 if the draft budget is approved without changes. Several road and bridge projects are planned for 2024, with only one skin-patching project planned on the boundary of South Dundas – County Road 5. Just over 46 kilometres of roads are planned for resurfacing projects, while 10.8km of roads are planned for micro-surfacing.
Planned roads for 2024 include County Roads 9, 13, 15, 20, and 22. A major reconstruction of County Road 22 from Maxville to Highway 138 valued at $8.8 million will be paid for through $2.2 million in reserves already put aside in past budgets to pay for the project, with the balance proposed to be financed.
Major bridge projects planned for 2024 include a $1.9 million replacement of the Inkerman Bridge on County Road 3 and a previously deferred $1.8 million rehabilitation of the County Road 18 bridge in Martintown. Other than planning for a future rehabilitation project of the CN overpass on County Road 31 north of Morrisburg, no other transportation projects are planned for South Dundas in 2024.
Council donations already in the draft budget include $18,000 supporting the various county fairs in SDG; $15,000 for the St. Lawrence River Institute; $1,000 for Habitat for Humanity; and $1,000 for miscellaneous donations. There is currently $30,000 in reserves for further donations.
However councillors will have some tough choices to make as additional donation requests made to council this Fall amount to $240,000 that have not been budgeted for. Those requests include a minimum $120,000 request for the United Way of SD&G’s Last Resort Program; $72,337.50 for the Social Development Council; $35,000 to the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network; $12,000 to the SD&G Historical Society for its 1784 Event in June 2024; and $1,095 for the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command military service recognition book.
Every one per cent of change in the tax levy at SDG Counties amounts to approximately $557,000 in the budget.
The tax rate set by Counties may not be the final tax rate home owners pay. SDG’s tax rate is blended with the tax rates of the six lower-tier municipalities for the final property tax bills.
SDG Counties councillors will enter deliberations of the draft budget beginning December 6, with a second planned session – if needed – for December 7.
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