By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg council has approved a budget that includes an increase of less than 1%.
With a capital budget of $8,009,600 and an operating budget of $24,793,569, the municipal levy approved represents a 0.4% increase over 2020 and a 0.2% net decrease after allowing for assessment growth of 0.6%, council heard at this week's meeting.
The capital budget grew by $40,000 with Councillor Brian Darling's amendment to add that amount to represent increases in a sidewalk project after it was deferred from 2020.
Councillor Adam Bureau had an amendment that added nothing to the overall amount, but earmarked $6,000 from the outside maintenance budget to install a new flagpole at the Cobourg Public Library.
A tree has grown over and around the old flagpole making it impossible to use, and Bureau considers it disrespectful not to have the Canadian flag flying over the municipal building.
Mayor John Henderson said this is the kind of complaint he gets year-round, how Canadian flags are flown or not flown, especially on special days like Feb. 15 – national Canadian Flag Day.
Budget deliberations also included the Town of Cobourg Environmental Services Budget which, for 2021, includes total revenues of $6,543,740 and total expenditures of $4,091,724. The resulting net operating surplus of $2,452,026 will be transferred to the Sewer Rates Reserve.
Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin thanked councillors and staff for their collaboration on the budget, calling it a “transparent and sustainable budget.”
“We knew the taxpayers of Cobourg could not afford a large tax increase this year, due to COVID-19,” Seguin said.
