Grey County’s 2009 Budget is set.
Council was able to take off more items and reduce the rate increase.
Council managed to wiggle the rate down to 1.4 percent from 1.69 set last week.
The end result will see County households paying 11 dollars more for every 187 thousand dollars of assessment.
Finance and Personnel Committee Chair Bob Pringle says they will use One-Time funding to cover a 60 thousand dollar expenditure for contracting of Specialty Care in the County’s 3 Long Term Care Facilities.
Pringle also says the 20 thousand dollars that will be use to pay for consulting services to complete an interpretive plan for Grey Roots will come from One-Time funding.
He says the Human Resources and IT Strategic Plan expenditure of 40 thousand would be partially covered by One-Time funding.
And he says 10 thousand dollars will come from reserves to cover the 30 thousand dollar membership to SWEA — South West Economic Alliance.
Pringle — the Deputy Mayor of Chatsworth — says Council did approve a recommendation from the Planning and Development Committee of 5 thousand dollars to cover an application for membership to SWEA that will cover the period until December 31, 2009.
He says there is a turn around in the positive thinking regarding economic development in the region.
He says by linking with the Southwestern Ontario market the possibilities are there and they need to be open to them.
Director of Finance Kevin Weppler says the Province will be uploading around 5.7 million dollars in programs including Ontario Works by 2011.
But he says they will also have to cover a 2.8-million dollar shortfall due to the elimination of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding (OMPF).
He says instead of increasing the taxes then later reducing the rate they will borrow money out of reserves and pay it back in either 2010 or 2011 thus spreading out the shortfall over a 3-year period.