In a tough budget year for municipalities Brantford has not done a bad job, says a city councillor.
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“All in all, as painful and as untenable as this is, this is where we are, this is the world we live in,” Coun. John Sless (Ward 2) said at a Tuesday special meeting of council.
“It may sound simplistic but when everything in your home goes up, when your hydro goes up and your gasoline goes up and everything you touch costs more, the same thing is true for the city.
“That’s not an excuse, that’s the reality,” Sless said.
The Ward 2 councilor said on balance the city has not done a bad job and people will start to realize that when the property tax increases of other municipalities start being reported in the media.
The approved operating budget calls for spending of about just over $212.6 million.
About $138.6 million is for direct city services, with this portion of the budget forecasting a 4.57 per cent increase.
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The balance of about $74 million covers other services provided by local boards and agencies including the health unit and the Brantford Police Service, among others. This portion of the budget is forecasting an 8.04 per cent increase.
The total municipal impact of the recommended city services and board/agency budgets currently sits at 5.75 per cent and would result in an annual average property tax impact of $213.64 or $17.80 a month for a Brantford home with an assessed value of $285,000
The assessed value is determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and does not reflect the market value of a home or property.
The corporation’s last assessment was done in 2016 and an updated assessment, scheduled for 2020, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Although the city funds those outside organizations it doesn’t control their budgets, something many people may not realize, Sless said.
Sless noted that the budget does include enhanced paramedic and enhanced police service.
“We’re putting two more cruisers on the road 24/7 with this budget and that will make a difference,” he said. “These are things people have been demanding and demands come with a price tag.”
Coun. Dan McCreary noted the budget includes an increase in transit but said it is a significant investment that will pay off and move the community forward.
The budget calls for capital spending of $5.3 million to improve transit.
McCreary said he is in favor of the multi-year budget plan adopted by the city in 2024. However, he also believes changes are needed to allow councilors more opportunity to balance the needs of the corporation with the taxpayers’ ability to pay.
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