Sault Ste. Marie budget hike largest in five years
Sault Ste. Marie has confirmed its budget for 2022, which includes a property tax hike of just more than four per cent, the biggest increase in the last five years.
City council approved the new budget Monday night after getting the police board to rework its costs for the year.
The $500,000 in savings the board found is barely making a dent to the tax hike. City Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen said most of the cost is incurred by social services and Algoma Public Health, who are dealing with a poverty crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Say if your taxes are $2,800-$3,000 annually, the cost to that ratepayer per month is under $10," Vezeau-Allen said. "So I feel better that our homelessness population is being taken care of, Algoma Public Health has the tools that it needs."
Council passed a resolution introduced by Vezeau-Allen that allows city administrators to help police in its civilian roles.
She said that will reduce future spending and improve policing.
"It's really, really important from our perspective as the police board and just as a citizen of our community, we want to see police budget dollars go into officers on the ground," Vezeau-Allen said.
City council also approved the purchase of new fare boxes for its buses, with an eye on reducing operating costs. The director of community services said the change will make using the bus easier and eventually lead to an increase in ridership.
"We were experiencing some challenges with respect to proper recording and tracking, so bus drivers would have to manually hit a button so that the fare was tracked," said Brent Lamming.
A buyer has also been found for the M.S. Norgoma, an aging ship that the city has been paying to dock at Algoma Steel since 2019.
Vezeau-Allen said the city isn't getting much up front but will free up $40 per day it's spending to dock the boat.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says
A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction."
Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Why finding the suspected CEO killer is harder than you might think
He killed a high-profile CEO on a sidewalk in America’s largest city, where thousands of surveillance cameras monitor millions of people every day.
Sask. doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case
A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals.
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on
France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral is formally reopening its doors on Saturday for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019.
Man arrested after 16-hour standoff with Barrie police seeks to be released from custody
The 43-year-old man taken to hospital in distress following a 16-hour armed standoff with Barrie police last month is seeking bail.
Facing the holidays without family ties or the romantic partner of your dreams? Here's how to make this season fulfilling
While the holiday season is often a time rich with cheer love and family connections, it can also be a painful reminder of what once was.