SD&G – Residents in SD&G will be getting some pocket change back this year on the county portion of their taxes.
After two days of budget talks, council agreed Wednesday with the addition of $53,240 to the budget for the O.P.P. mental health nurse position ($40,000), some donations and an increase to the economic development budget ($11,300).
Council was already dealing with a decease and this addition will only shave off a new points from the original 0.32 per cent tax decrease, leading to a 0.22 tax decrease.
That will result in about $1.27 back on every $100,000 of assessed value on a residential home.
Most of county council wasn’t comfortable with a proposal to add $380,000 to the budget, which would have resulted in residents paying the exact same amount of taxes they paid last year.
“I still think it’s a comprehensive budget,” Coun. Allan Armstrong (North Dundas) said, adding that it’s a “compassionate budget” that has really not changed levels of service in the county.
Warden Frank Prevost agreed with Armstrong’s assessment.
The budget will be formally passed by council next month.