(Photo by Jordan MacKinnon)(Photo by Jordan MacKinnon)
Midwestern

Saugeen Shores Budget Approval

Saugeen Shores council has agreed on a budget for 2016.

Council gave preliminary approval to the budget, which includes a 3.94% property tax increase when blended with the county and educational levies.

Treasurer Susan Dent says the overall increase means taxpayers in Saugeen Shores can expect to pay an average of $115 more on their tax bills this year.

Mayor Mike Smith says there's plenty of new spending in the budget, pointing out they had to take on a few projects because putting them off just creates a backlog in future years.

He says the provincial government is not helping either, pointing out Saugeen Shores' portion of the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund dropped by $200,000 this year.

"We started again down 2% from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, this is the fourth of five years we've been reduced, so we're down about a million dollars over four years, so we're in a hole of 2% to start with," says Smith.

Saugeen Shores council will consider the budget by-law at its next meeting on February 29.

Read More Local Stories