Mulmur Township passed its $4,740,868 budget Jan. 13.
The budget reflects a 6.28 per cent tax rate increase and translates to a $19.38 increase in taxes this year for every $100,000 of assessment. The average home in Mulmur is assessed at $376,000.
Treasurer Heather Boston said the municipality is in the final stage of a three-year plan to improve its finances.
“This is the third year of the three-year plan. Last year and the year before had similar increases,” said Boston.
“I phased in changes to start having money going to reserves, money to equipment, bridge reserves, road reserves, we don’t sell gravel anymore we keep it for our own use which is wonderful. Those things are all major changes so the township is in a lot better financial situation than three years ago. Next year should be much lower.”
Boston said $200,000 has been put into reserves for the eventual replacement of a Mansfield bridge at a cost of $1.2 million. Another $10,000 is being put into a reserve to kick-start a fund to extend the lives of bridges and culverts so they won’t have to be replaced outright.
Boston said 51 per cent of the budget, which was approved by council after a public meeting, is allocated to roads – including the paving of 5 Sideroad between Prince of Wales and Centre Road – and $380,000 was set aside for a new public works vehicle.
Also of interest, council allocated $6,500 for the use of the Economic Development Task Force in its efforts to grow the local economy and $4,400 for a portable radar sign to help alleviate speeding in problem areas such as River Road.
The township saw a decrease of $32,100 in its OMPF grant, the province’s main transfer payment to municipalities and it saw an increase in firefighting costs associated with replacing outdated equipment.