Collingwood Council has a 2010 budget.
Council approved the budget estimates Monday night.
The budget still carries a two and a half percent tax increase and total spending of 72.6 million dollars.
Treasurer Marjorie Leonard says that amounts to $53.56 on a home assessed at 269 thousand dollars.
Leonard says things balanced out because council deferred some projects while adding the 675 thousand for the roof over the outdoor rink at Central Park.
Hiring four additional firefighters and the entire 2.94 million dollar Heritage Park Project approved by council were already in the preliminary budget.
Leonard says the final budget by-law can’t be approved yet because the province and Simcoe County still have to set their education rates for this year which will have an impact on the total tax increase.
The treasurer doesn’t expect the rates until May.
There was talk during the meeting of raising taxes by three percent to send 110 thousand dollars to reserves.
Councillor Dave Labelle says he made the motion because it will be worse next year and he thought by asking people to pay a little more this year, next year will be a bit easier on them.
Going to a three percent hike would mean 65 dollars from 53 on a 269 thousand dollar assessed home.
Labelle’s motion was defeated.
The by-law to accept the budget estimates was carried by a vote of 5 to 2 with two councillors absent.