date posted: 2007-04-01
Improve our roads; keep our Town clean and beautiful; build more parks, playing fields, and playgrounds, deal with graffiti, plough the streets in winter and keep them clean in summer; open our new theatre next year; re-vitalize our downtown; extend hours of service at our libraries, put a new official plan in place, have more by-law enforcement; do not cut our services, and keep taxes low.
These are just some of the comments members of Town Council heard during public consultations on the 2007 budget process. As Chair of the Budget Committee, I can verify that staff and Council weighed carefully the requests from our residents to keep Richmond Hill vibrant and beautiful and to also maintain one of the lowest property tax rates in Southern Ontario. Like every homeowner, the Town faces increased costs for insurance, fuel and utilities, water, and staff – and there are really only two ways to pay for the services provided to residents namely user fees and property taxes.
This year’s tax rate increase of 5.9% is less than 5 dollars a month on a home assessed at $384,000. Council believed the increase was necessary to meet the requests of our residents. The Town remains debt free and is well positioned to maintain its fiscal integrity through the next many years.
Of special note, I am very pleased that Council unanimously endorsed my proposal to increase our property tax credit to $250.00 for qualifying seniors in Town. We all recognize the pressures which seniors on fixed incomes face to maintain their homes and properties. I am proud to be a Member of Council which values and recognizes these special residents – our seniors!