RED ROCK – Mayor Darquise Robinson says it’s a very lean budget due largely in part to the operation of the town’s secondary treatment plants and monthly billing procedures, as well as the cost of maintaining and managing clean water services by the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
“The driving factors being in part is the secondary treatment plant being in operations and the monthly billing, and also OCQA, and infrastructure projects that we do have ongoing in the community,” said Robinson in an interview with CNFO.
Last year, Red Rock’s total operating expenses were $3,107,280; however, this year there is a slight increase in municipal expenses totalling $3,638,859.
What Robinson means when she says that the budget is very lean is that with the 2 per cent increase, the township will break even with the total revenue matching the town’s expenditure.
Therefore, to maintain the cost of the infrastructure projects, the town is looking into borrowing credit until the taxes are collected and other revenues are received.
If the council proceeds with a loan option, they will ask for a maximum of $1,000,000 to ensure that municipal services can fully operate throughout the years.
The proposed two per cent tax levy increase for 2022 will have residential and rural residential areas paying as low as $49.06 and as high as $149.07.
With files from Al Cresswell, CFNO.
