By Cecilia Nasmith
Northumberland County council approved a budget with a 1.58% levy increase at its December meeting.
The draft of the budget approved at special meetings on Dec. 9 and 10 had included a 2.44% levy increase (after an estimated growth rate of 1.1%), but councillors came up with some adjustments to lower that. Meanwhile, the dedicated infrastructure investment did not change, remaining at 0.64%.
Adjustments made to lower the tax increase included reduced newspaper advertising (saving $40,000) and deferral of hiring for a new position (saving $42,875).
As well, the price of a garbage-bag tag will go up 50 cents as of March 1, for a $42,875 savings. This will allow a couple of months to let people know, and point-of-purchase merchants will have the option of marking up the tags 10% to cover their own costs.
Based on MPAC evaluations, the $28.71 increase in county taxes the average home would have paid has been lowered by these adjustments to $17.97.
MPAC, by the way, readjusts its evaluations on four-year cycles but has deferred the next one due to COVID-19.
