Perth Councillor David Bird (file photo)
Perth Councillor David Bird says no one likes the 8% tax rate increase and 6% hike in water and wastewater rates, but provincial support is decreasing while all costs continue to increase.
Bird says they’re projecting a infrastructure deficit as a result.
Ontario’s asset management rules force municipalities to account for full infrastructure costs, often exposing funding shortfalls previously hidden in annual budgets.
When asked why the town made the Tay Basin Parking Lot a priority for this year, to the tune of $476,033, Bird says it’s about amplifying a tourism draw.
Bird pointed to limited income streams for a town that’s limited in growth potential as a main driver of a higher tax rate, while saying staff’s hard at work brainstorming other revenue generators.
Story by Grant Deme
