The Town of Smiths Falls is gearing up once more for the budget process for 2023.
It’ll be this round of council’s first crack at the books.
Council decided to go with the staff recommendations to have the first budget see a 5.5% increase in water rates, 3.5% in wastewater, and a 3.38% tax rate operate as placeholder figures.
The same figures proposed as increases in 2021, before council decided against it. The 2021 increases included a 2% jump in water and wastewater rates, and no tax increase.
Councillor Dawn Quinn hopes the preservation work they’ve done previously on infrastructure can now turn into savings for the taxpayer.
Councillor Chris McGuire feels the best practice is to match the water and wastewater rates with inflation, a notion the province is nudging municipalities to do.
McGuire referenced the worsening roads as an identifiable issue which needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, and now’s the time to invest.
These initial figures will likely change several times as the process begins its long march ahead towards approval.
Story by Grant Deme
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