The municipal portion of property taxes in Trent Hills will rise by 6.18 per cent in 2024, council decided at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The hike was primarily due to a 2 per cent cost of living increase in wages and higher benefit costs in every department, Mayor Bob Crate said in an interview. “We looked at every line item to keep costs down and did a service review a few years ago to ask people what they want us to do.”
The total tax levy from the municipality in 2024 will be $16,335,243. That translates into an increase of $127.55 on a property assessed at $250,000. Its tax bill will be $2,192.55, up from $2,065.00.
In addition, property owners pay county and education taxes. Northumberland County is meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13 to consider a 7 per cent increase in its levy.
A report to council said that in addition to employee costs, there were inflationary increases for materials and supplies such as salt and gravel for winter roads and on contracted services such as insurance and utilities.
The budget includes gross expenditures of $37,760,624, gross non-tax revenue of $21,425,381 and a tax levy of $16,335,243. The proposed tax levy requirement represents an increase from last year of $1,125,140 or 7.40 per cent, the staff report said.
Major expenditures planned for 2024 include $4 million to replace sewer and water pipes on Ranney St. North and repave it; $10.1 million for the Sunny Life Recreation Complex; and $4.2 million for a new water standpipe in Hastings. The cost of water services will be $7.6 million and the cost of waste-water services $6.2 million.
The longest discussion during the morning meeting was over $63,000 for Lower Trent Conservation. It represented an 18 per cent increase from last year, in addition to another expenditure for the conservation body that meant total spending on it by Trent Hills would be up about 30 per cent.
Deputy Mayor Michael Metcalfe pushed to have the expense reduced by suggesting Lower Trent should delay or cancel plans to add staff. He wanted the increase reduced to 12 or 13 per cent. After a lengthy discussion and a couple of votes and attempted votes, council decided that Councillors Rick English and Gene Brahaney, who represent Trent Hills on the Lower Trent board, should do their best to get the cost reduced at its budget meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14.
At one point, an exasperated Brahaney said the councillors had spent a lot of time discussing a relatively small amount of money, noting that at a recent meeting when council learned the cost of the new standpipe in Hastings had doubled to $4 million, everyone shrugged “and accepted that was the case.”
Municipalities are being asked to increase their spending on conservation authorities because the provincial government slashed their budgets and powers. Lower Trent used its reserves last year to keep its request down, but can’t do that for 2024.
Metcalfe said the two councillors who represent Trent Hills on the Lower Trent’s board have a fiduciary duty to act in its best interests and he trusted they would act appropriately.
Short Term Rentals Under Study
Last year the municipality asked staff to draft a plan to deal with short-term rentals through online companies such as Airbnb because there had been many complaints about wild parties and noise caused by renters. But over the past year a greater issue has come to the fore, the lack of affordable housing. So now the municipality is looking to move ahead with a plan to ban such short-term rentals and only allow things like a B&B where the owner is present. The goal is to encourage people who own properties to rent them long term, or sell them.
Any other short-term rentals will be dealt with under a nuisance bylaw, if neighbours complain. Councillor Dennis Savery asked what this would mean for cottage owners who rent their places during the summer. Under the current proposal that might not be allowed.
The municipality plans to hold public consultations this spring and Mayor Crate said he looks forward to hearing the feedback. Staff was asked to prepare a final report by the end of June.
An Electric Ice Machine
Council also approved an expenditure of $168,877 plus HST for an electric ice resurfacing machine from Resurfice Corp. for the new Sunny Life Recreation Complex.
