COMMUNITY MAKING SENSE OF THE CENTS
AAKASH P. DESAI
Deputy Mayor Municipality of Grey Highlands deputymayordesai@greyhighlands.ca DISCLAIMER: This article is not meant to act as a majority or dissenting opinion on matters discussed and decided at Council of the Municipality of Grey Highlands or the Council of the County of Grey. It is an honest effort to present facts, thoughts, rationales, and debates surrounding those items. And in some cases, it is just good news and celebrations. The last couple of months have been packed with very interesting meetings at the municipal level. Grey Highlands Council has spent upwards of 30 hours in meetings to deliberate on the 2021 municipal budget. Maybe by the time the deliberations are finished, we’ll be able to gather with our friends and family. The endgame for Council is to ensure that the budget we pass adequately responds to the needs of the population amidst the pandemic today, and one that will build a Grey Highlands that future generations can be proud of.
Council failed to discharge one of its key duties. It is, and should always be, Council’s responsibility to pick which expenditures remain on the draft budget that is taken to the public for input. In this case, Council asked staff to bring back a leaner budget. Effectively we said, “Do our job for us.” I doubt any member of Council was happy to see a 14.8% increase, but it is our job to make hard decisions. Despite what many have criticized as extremely high tax increases, I am proud of the fact that Grey Highlands remains the most affordable municipality in Grey County. Based on 2020 numbers, the average assessment of a single detached residential property was $262,308, which was the fourth highest in Grey County. The average local levy collected by the municipality was the lowest in Grey County at $1,449. I remain proud of being on councils that have provided relatively higher levels of service while maintaining an affordable cost to the taxpayers. The proposed budget that will go to the public includes $12.4 million to be collected in property taxes for 2021. The total capital expenditures are budgeted to be $4.61 million. About a quarter of that, $1.02 million will be funded by taxes collected this year, while the remainder, $3.59 million, will come from grants, reserves, and debentures. By the time you read this piece in February, Council will be a lot closer to passing a budget for the coming year. I have received feedback from several people and to those who took the time to do their research and provide positive feedback and constructive criticisms, Thank You Aakash P. Desai Deputy Mayor Municipality of Grey Highlands deputymayordesai@greyhighlands.ca (519) 477-0732
Usually, Council directs staff to present a budget that will accurately represent the cost of doing everything we discussed during the year. In November staff tabled a budget which proposed an increase of 14.8% to the levy. Following heated debate, Council voted, in a 4-3 decision, to send the budget back to staff. In doing so, I believe, 10
HELLO COUNTRY MAGAZINE
