Journal Staff Sarnia residents will pay more to ride the bus, turn on a sprinkler and live in their own homes next year. It will not, however, cost more to flush the toilet. The $135.4-million budget approved by city council on Dec. 6 comes with a 2.
Journal Staff
Sarnia residents will pay more to ride the bus, turn on a sprinkler and live in their own homes next year.
It will not, however, cost more to flush the toilet.
The $135.4-million budget approved by city council on Dec. 6 comes with a 2.3% increase in property taxes in the coming year.
That amounts to $20.62 more in property taxes on every $100,000 of residential assessment.
The money will help pay for municipal services ranging from police and fire protection to park maintenance and road repairs, but the final tax bill won’t be tabulated until the County of Lambton budget and education taxes are set.
Council approved a 4.6% tax hike last year and 3.9% increase in 2014.
The 2017 spending package was approved in an 8-1 vote, with Mayor Mike Bradley the lone dissenter. It included a 2.8% increase in the charge for water distribution and consumption.
The sewer surcharge rate, however, remains unchanged.
Also approved was a $37.3-million capital budget that includes about $8 million in expected government grants.
The lion’s share of capital spending will go to upgrade the sewer system ($12 million) and replace watermains and storm sewers ($3.6 million). Another $6.3 million will separate combined sanitary sewers in the Talfourd and Devine street area, to reduce basement flooding and discharges to the river.
Other big-ticket items include more work on the Donohue bridge ($1.5), the rehabilitation of other bridges and culverts ($1 million), road resurfacing ($1.2 million), improvements to Sarnia Arena ($1.5 million), new buses ($2.5 million), and ongoing streetlight conversion to LED bulbs ($1 million).
To help pay for it all, City Hall is also increasing the fees on numerous services, including online payments, park facility rentals and booking tennis courts. Fees formerly waived for non-profit and charitable groups on things like the Showmobile will now be collected.
Transit users will be hit with an increase in cash fares, tickets and bus passes.
Council parked $200,000 in a new reserve for the future demolition of the former Sarnia General Hospital building, and approved $600,000 to continue planning on a proposed heavy haul corridor that would link industrial manufacturers with Sarnia Harbour.
