Tillsonburg Gives Green Light To Budget

Thursday, 30 January 2020 07:42

The 2020 budget was approved by the Town of Tillsonburg at a recent council meeting. The total budget is just over $16 million, along with a tax levy increase of 1.86 percent.

TILLSONBURG - The Town of Tillsonburg have approved the 2020 budget.

This year's amount is $16,010,700 with a tax levy increase of 1.86%.

Mayor Stephen Molnar says it provides value to residents.

"Tillsonburg remains a community of just 17,000 people where the values and expectations we're supplying through an assessment base expands between 80 and 100,000 people. So we've been creative in working and finding and identifying partnerships at the provincial and federal level. Our Kings Highway connecting link funding formulas, the infrastructure funding that we recently received for municipal roads and sidewalks in our community provide valuable partnerships in the community, which mitigate some of the costs locally because their services that we're ultimately providing to a larger geographic and demographic base."

This year's budget saw an increase of $875,000 from last year. They also passed the operational and capital budgets, sitting around $23 million and $8.5 million respectively.

The Town of Tillsonburg has several capital projects on the go that are a part of this year's budget.

Mayor Molnar says a large percentage of them were approved in the fall of last year.

"Our tenders are being drawn up now, our engineering specs on various projects are already being completed. And when we get out into the market, to be in a competitive market regarding the RFP's and the bidding processes, we're out early. Historically we've received positive variances to budget and we've got shovels in the ground providing valuable for our stakeholders quicker than other some other communities have. So we're very proud of that. It continues to be philosophy and a policy that provides value to those who are impacted."

The Kings Highway Connecting Link is among the projects included.

The Town says residents who saw an increase in the assessed value of their properties, which was determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), will see an additional increase.

Council invested an additional $330,000 into the Asset Management Plan, as infrastructure continues to be a priority.

Other highlights in this year's budget include refurbishments at Lake Lisgar Water Park (including New Slide), Redevelopment of Concession Street West. (Rolph St. to Charlotte Ave.) and continued residential development in various sectors.