Georgian Bluffs has finalized their 2015 municipal budget, and it includes a 2 per cent tax hike when blended with the Grey County and school board levies.
The township’s mayor, Al Barfoot, tells Bayshore Broadcasting News policing costs and increased insurance premiums contributed to the rise in property taxes.
He says Council has also allocated an additional $400,000 towards roads and transportation services, while $1.2-million is being placed into reserve accounts.
The average home assessed at $229,000 will pay an extra $48.75 in 2015
Even with a 2% rise, Georgian Bluffs has some of the lowest residential tax rates in the region, and Barfoot would like to see his municipality remain in that position.
At an earlier meeting, staff presented figures showing for every $100,000 in assessment, Georgian Bluffs residents paid just under $1,070 in taxes.
As a comparison, Owen Sound was more than $500 higher.
According to Barfoot, Council couldn’t trim the budget beyond the 2 per cent.
Georgian Bluffs officially approved the document at Wednesday’s meeting.