Ratepayers in Georgian Bluffs are looking at a 1.7 per cent increase on their tax bills this year.
Georgian Bluffs council passed its 2010 budget on Wednesday night — a financial document that Mayor Alan Barfoot called “a very responsible budget.”
The municipality must raise $4,744,281 through taxation, which is 350 thousand dollars more than in 2009.
Barfoot says some higher costs like police and fire services can’t be avoided — and neither can insurance premiums — which have jumped after 2 years of no increases.
Revenues are also down in some areas like bag tags and building permits, and interest income has also been lower than expected.
But the township has taken a creative approach to ensuring its ongoing infrastructure work won’t affect the tax bill.
For example, its portion of the cost of the Shallow Lake Community Centre renovations will be paid by reserves and gas tax funding.
Georgian Bluffs is also taking out a 10-year debenture for its one million dollar share of the cost to build a biodigestor, a joint project with Chatsworth.
The debenture will be paid by net revenue from that operation.
Barfoot adds the township is in very good shape as it moves forward.