A Special Committee of the Whole was held on Monday, February 11th, 2019 to review Version 2 of the Draft 2019 Budget. t the beginning of the meeting the budget showed a levy of 5.94% or $2.56 per $100,000.00 of property assessment value. This was a slight change from what the budget was the last time the MR reported on it, as $15,000.00 had been added to the operating budget for an engineering summer student position in the Public Works Department. Committee discussed the following comments which were received at the public budget meeting on Tuesday, February 5th, 2019:

  • That although perhaps not this year, the Township has a moral obligation to put the aerial fire truck back into the 10-Year Capital Forecast. It was not added to the 2019 budget.
  • That swimming lessons be re-instated for the last two weeks of July in Windermere as a test program, at a cost of $2,250.00.

Following further discussions Committee decided to:

  • Remove an emergency generator from the Walker’s Point Community Centre at a savings of $75,000.00.
  • Remove a solar powered LED sign from the Peninsula Community Centre (Minett) at a savings of $12,000.00.
  • Add in a generator for the Windermere Fire Hall at a cost of $30,000.00.
  • Grant the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s their request of $20,000.00 to run the Port Carling Visitors Centre in 2019.

With these additions and removals from the draft budget the levy is currently 5.96% or $2.58 per $100,000.00 of property assessment value.

Budget discussions have been removed from the Committee of the Whole meeting on Thursday, February 14th, 2019.

It is anticipated that the budget will be passed at Council on Friday, February 15th, 2019.