The budget process in Grey Highlands is on hold, partly because of staff changes in the town.
New CAO Dan Best just took over the job last month and he is also now the interim Treasurer, after Glen McAlister resigned to take on a new job February. 26th.
Grey Highlands Mayor Brian Mullin says as a result, the town is now advertising for a new Treasurer and that position won’t be filled until mid-April.
Mullin says no budget discussions have been held since January, when Grey Highlands council was facing a 14.7 percent tax increase.
He says he hopes to call a meeting of council for later this month to get the budget discussions going again.
In the Meantime, Mayor Mullin has been twisting a few arms at the OPP trying to get their proposed contract down for 1.58 million dollars.
Mullin met last week with OPP negotiators and he expects a revised contract proposal any day.
Currently, Grey Highlands pays under 1.3 million a year for policing and the proposed increase, along with a cut of nearly 400 thousand dollars in provincial transfer money is putting pressure on the town budget.
Mayor Brian Mullin says th transfer cuts will mean a hike of nearly 9 per cent, so he’ll be happy if they get the tax increase under 10 per cent this year.