County of Simcoe passes 2023 budget
County of Simcoe councillors have approved this year's budget and met their goal of keeping an increase in taxes below inflation.
The $695-million 2023 budget comes along with a 3.5 percent rise in property taxes, the largest in the last five years.
It comes amidst soaring inflation costs, which has caused increased pressure on the county and its residents.
"When you are looking at the budgets at home, people have concerns too because the average person is starting to hurt now," says Warden Basil Clarke. "So we were really mindful of what that inflation was, and our goal was to come in well under that, so I'm very happy that we were able to do that."
Amongst the key priorities in the budget are the following:
$92-million for long-term care facilities
$91-million for social housing
$67-million for paramedic services
The county will continue to invest in various long-term care facilities, including the Simcoe Village expansion project.
Part of the $91-million social housing investment will go towards three affordable housing projects throughout the county. A project already underway in Orillia will continue, a new project in Bradford is just starting, and a project in Barrie is entering the design stage.
"We all know inflation is hitting everybody hard; it's hitting our construction hard, and it's also hitting our social services, which is why we're still committed to those big projects in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Orillia to do with our affordable housing," says Clarke. "We have our COVID recovery that is also included in this budget to help those businesses get back on their feet after a tough couple of years."
The county is also investing in its paramedic services, with demand expected to rise by more than 5 percent this year.
It is adding one new ambulance to the fleet, which will bring an additional six paramedics to its team.
"In terms of the increase to the average resident, we usually talk in terms of how much it costs in terms of $100,000 in value," says Trevor Wilcox, the general manager of corporate performance for the county. "For this budget, that 3.5 percent equates to $9.77 per $100,000; that will be the increase on the bill."
The county says it is able to finance the entire budget and is only using reserves where needed. It is not borrowing from external debt.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.