The average residential property owner in Norfolk County will be paying $182.14 more in taxes in 2023.
Norfolk County councilors, at a Thursday budget committee meeting, recommended for approval a 2023 operating budget of $119,355,900. Plans call for the budget to be ratified at a Norfolk County council meeting on Jan. 25.
The budget represents a 5.7 per cent or $182.14 a year increase in property taxes for a property with an assessed value of $240,000. The monthly tax bill in that case will increase to $15.18 a month.
The budget, reached Thursday after a day-and-a-half of deliberations, includes new initiatives to keep libraries open longer and provide a much-needed curator to boost the Delhi Tobacco Museum and Heritage Centre.
“It is a difficult budget with a high number,” Coun. Linda Vandendriescche said after councilors unanimously voted in favor of the budget. “But we, as a corporation, have to work to maintain what have and do what we can.
“Unfortunately, it is a high number but I think we did a good job of going through it.”
Speaking directly to Norfolk taxpayers, Vandendriescche said the county just has to get through this year, a year in which everything is going up.
The 5.7 per cent increase, while high, is much lower than the project nine per cent increase projected by county staff in the fall, ahead of budget deliberations.
Mayor Amy Martin thanked county staff for all of their work on the budget.
“Great job. So much hard work,” Martin said.
“I see your cars here in the morning and I see them here at night.
“Thank you to each and everyone of you for your efforts.”
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