North Bay City Council to vote on tax increase, 3.23% possible
City council in North Bay is closer to ironing out a final budget for 2023 and it looks as if it will mean a 3.2 per cent tax hike for property owners.
North Bay's operating budget for this year is more than $153 million and the city’s budget chief, Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield, said all efforts were made to avoid a big tax hike.
"When we were looking at the budget and going line by line, what we were seeing was a lot of the costs where the city was putting in an increase were areas we really couldn't say 'no,'" Horsfield said.
"Fuel costs, we need our trucks on the street, we need our snowplows out there and asphalt for the roads. Those are things we can’t go without."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
At the beginning of the deliberations in February, city staff recommended the proposed levy increase be at 5.77 per cent compared to last year.
However, the city will use almost $890,000 from its reserves to bring the tax levy down as past councils have also used reserves this way.
"It's been something that they've done since 2008, dipping into reserves to help lower the levy," Horsfield said.
But she admits this strategy is not always sustainable.
"It's not a sustainable practice because at some point those reserves are going to dry up," Horsfield said.
After crunching the numbers, it's estimated that North Bay's taxpayers will see a 3.23 per cent increase on their bills. That’s about $47.35 more a year on a home assessed at $100,000.
City Councillor Gary Gardiner was hoping the tax levy increase would be lower. He said he was hoping it would end somewhere around 3 per cent range, citing the effects inflation has had on people.
"Based on the rapid inflation that we have, homeowners are trying to figure out how to make ends meet," Gardiner said.
"That would have been a good target."
Horsfield said she understands the concerns expressed from many people who are struggling with the price of gas, food and other inflated expenses.
"It’s really fair that folks want to see their taxes as low as possible," she said.
"If we want to look at those changes, it will come when the city reviews their collective bargaining as well as our administrative pay bylaws."
City council will vote next Tuesday night on whether or not it will approve both the operating and capital budget.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Manitoba mom praises quick-thinking fire department for freeing daughter stuck in playground equipment
A Manitoba mother is praising firefighters for their quick work in helping her daughter who got stuck at a playground in Lorette, Man.