Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Grey County Approves Budget

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Grey County
by Jonathon Jackson    

Grey County reached and surpassed its goal of a zero tax increase in its 2010 budget.

County council approved its budget on Tuesday and achieved a negative tax increase of point-2 percent.

The amount needed to be raised by the county through taxation is just under
46 million dollars.

The county's total budget is just over 118 million dollars.

Provincial uploading of certain costs in areas like social services has helped council surpass its previously stated target of a zero tax increase.

But Grey also took some hits from the province, losing 790 thousand dollars in grant money from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.

The county has also borrowed significantly from its reserves, a total of 2.6 million dollars last year and this year, to pay for a portion of its costs for the Ontario Works benefit program.

The hope is that the province will continue with its planned uploading of more social services, allowing the county to replenish those reserves.

A zero tax increase, at worst, was important for the county because it will provide a break to Grey municipalities that are facing unavoidable tax increases of their own.

Warden Arlene Wright says the document is close to a "bare-bones budget," but it's one council can live with and the public will be able to live with it as well.

She says many projects won't get done this year - including 50 million dollars worth of road work throughout the county - but the roads are generally in good shape and will have to wait until times are better,