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Midwestern

Goderich Council Announces Small Budget Increase

Goderich council has held their budget increase to 1.5 per cent this year.

Mayor Kevin Morrison explains they did take some funds out of reserves to get to that number but says by the end of this year the reserves will be back up above the figure for the end of 2017. Morrison says they took $900,000 dollars out of reserves for areas where the money was needed and by the end of this year the reserves will be up over 13-million dollars compared with just under 12-million dollars at the end of 2017.

Morrison says with the county and the education taxes actually being decreased, an average home worth 225-thousand dollars is going to be paying approximately 76 dollars more a year at that one and a half per cent. Morrison adds growth was a definite factor in keeping the increase at 1.5.

“However at the end of 2017 our reserves will be at just under 12-million and at the end of 2018 over 13-million, but yes, this year we took 900-thousand out of reserves but we did it for areas that we needed to and that's what reserves are for.”

Morrison says the town issued just over 18-million dollars in building permits in 2017. He says that's double the previous year and the town is continuing to grow.

“Taxes with the county and the education taxes actually being decreased, you know, an average home worth 225-thousand dollars is going to be paying approximately 76 dollars more a year at that one and a half per cent.”

 

 

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