​Kincardine set to grapple with projected 9.45% increase in tax rate at next budget meeting

Kincardine council will be grappling with a projected 9.45-per-cent municipal tax-rate increase at its next budget meeting Monday (Jan. 27).

At the Jan. 13 budget talks, council debated the many projects featured in its $32-million capital budget which includes $27-million for 2025 and $5-million in carry-over from 2024.

Among the discussions, was whether to include the Broadway multi-use path which is now estimated to be double the cost, at $546,000 instead of $265,000, and requires a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Sutton/Broadway and Mechanics Streets, at a cost of about $50,000.

This path would run from Charles Street (north of Kincardine District Senior School) along the south side of Broadway to the commercial area adjacent to Highway 21, connecting with the sidewalk on Sutton Street to that commercial area.

Council spent an extensive amount of time spinning its wheels on this issue, first agreeing to include it in the budget deliberations, by a recorded vote of 8-1, with councillor Bill Stewart the only one against. Then rejecting a motion to add the crosswalk; debating whether to make it a two-metre path or 1.5-metre with the crosswalk; and finally agreeing to remove it from the 2025 budget altogether and deferring it to 2026.

At one point, Stewart reminded council that this is taxpayers’ money. “If you add $300,000 to this project, where are you going to get the money from? This is not Monopoly money. This is cold, hard cash. If you add this, you have to take something out. The municipal tax bill has increased by almost 20 per cent since we got on council.”

The agenda for the Jan. 27 meeting indicates that a motion is coming forward to reconsider this project and include it in the 2025 budget.

Meanwhile, council discussed the $60,000 set aside for rehabilitation of Victoria Park.

Community service director Jayne Jagelewski said that money will be used to fix up the fountain and cannons, leaving the gazebo until later.

As to the proposed plan for the park, that has been shelved now, with council agreeing on a scaled-back project to be considered in 2026.

Other major projects discussed in the capital budget, included the following:
 

• Water meter replacement, $1.2-million
• Kincardine Water Treatment Plant upgrades, $6.568-million
• Highways 21 and Russell Street and Kincardine Avenue intersections, $1.825-million
• Brown’s Hill Bridge on Concession 5, $4.2-million
• Replacement of tandem plow/sander, $460,000
• Rural paving of Concession 9, $1.5-million
• Macpherson Park playground replacement, $400,000
• Station Beach boardwalk reconstruction, $750,000
• Kincardine Lighthouse repainting, $175,000
• Davidson Centre wall repairs and sealing, $275,000
• Davidson Centre generator replacement, $600,00
• Tiverton Sports Centre compressors and chiller replacement, $325,000
• Tiverton Sports Centre boards replacement, $320,000
• Fire department compressor replacement, $450,000
• Replacement of aerial fire truck, $2.4-million
• Replacement of Tiverton mini-pumper, $550,000

Coming up at Monday’s meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. in the council chamber, will be discussion of adding a part-time community development co-ordinator position and additional program costs, $80,000; waiving fees for patios in downtown Kincardine, loss of $6,500 in revenue; and hiring the services of a registered planner and engineer to continue the work on plans for affordable housing at 705 Princes Street, $18,000.

With reference to 705 Princes Street project, a report from strategic initiatives manager Lorie Fioze states that the services of a registered planner and engineer are required to complete a Planning Justification Report and an engineered site plan. These two items are critical to advancing the work as outlined in council’s motion from Nov. 13.

A tote board provided for Monday’s meeting shows the addition of a manager of planning, $155,000; environmental services maintenance co-ordinator, $90,000; a purchasing and procurement position, $85,000, Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation contribution of $600,000 ($200,000 on the tax rate); removal of the Municipal Innovation Council contribution, $27,000; and addition of a Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transition (SMART) contribution of $40,000.

Included with other changes to the operating budget, the current municipal tax-rate increase is at 9.45 per cent, which translates to an increase of $227.89 for the average residential assessment of $275,000.

To view the budget tote board, heading into Monday’s meeting, click here: pub-kincardine.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=33185.