Region passes billion-dollar budget
Mar 06, 2008 - 08:19 AM
By Reka Szekely
DURHAM -- Regional council unanimously passed a $1-billion budget Wednesday morning. The average residential taxpayer is facing a 4.82 per cent hike on the Region's portion of their bill.
The increase translates into an extra $98 on a home assessed at $280,000, which is the Durham average. The increase will vary among the municipalities because transit and waste costs differ. Brock had the highest increase at 5.45 per cent, or $113 on that average home, and Oshawa had the lowest, with 3.93 per cent or $82.
The average homeowner now pays $2,138 for the regional portion of their tax bill.
"The major budget drivers are transportation, which includes roads and transit, policing and waste and they have all been treated as a priority," said Scugog Mayor and finance committee chairwoman Marilyn Pearce.
The $132-million police budget includes hiring eight police officers and two civilians, a drop from the previous three years when the Region aggressively added to the force. Two dozen officers were added last year. Council also passed a resolution advising the police services board to present a business case for a proposed $18-million firearms training facility before proceeding with it.
In addition to recent service reductions, the transit budget includes 17 new buses and the refurbishment of some existing ones.
"As everyone knows, Durham Region has a very young transit system and we have a very old fleet," said Mayor Pearce.
Brock Road in Pickering and Simcoe Street in Oshawa will see some of the $47 million earmarked for road rehabilitation and expansion.
The waste budget includes $2.4 million for the environmental assessment for a proposed incinerator in Clarington and $1.45 million for the remediation of the Brock and Oshawa landfills. Council also confirmed its commitment to diverting 70 per cent of waste from landfills by 2010, including the implementation of a set of Durham-wide waste bylaws. The Region is also looking at requiring clear plastic bags as opposed to the traditional green or black.
"Meeting a 70 per cent diversion target will be a challenge, it will take political will as well as funding," said Mayor Pearce.
The budget also includes $958,000 to a fund the region's five conservation authorities can draw on towards the purchase of land and a $50,000 one-time donation to the Special Olympics, which holds its Ontario spring games in Durham this year.
As well, the Region's four long-term care facilities will receive an additional $800,000 and new staff will be hired to meet needs from an anticipated rise in Ontario Works caseloads.
Regional Chairman Roger Anderson congratulated Mayor Pearce on the budget process.
"To get council to vote unanimously on a budget is rare, so congratulations on that ... to the department heads once again, thanks for meeting the targets. I don't think it'll be as easy next year," he said
When factoring in local and education taxes as well, the Region estimates the average Durham homeowner will be paying about four per cent more than last year.
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