Amherstburg residents are looking at a 2.3% tax levy increase after councillors approved the 2016 budget in principle.
Councillors denied administration's request for five new positions in the municipality after receiving recommendations from the finance and audit committee. Positions that did not get approved include a financial analyst, a director of parks, facilities, recreation and culture, an engineering technician, a part-time health and safety officer and part-time bylaw enforcement officer. Approximately $350,000 was reallocated from these positions to reserves.
"The saving that we did realize by not approving the positions are going to be used to fund future capital projects," says CAO Jon Miceli.
Miceli says a strategic plan is being developed and he hopes the need for these positions, and others, will become clear to councillors. "I do not believe that we have the appropriate resources to provide the current level of services that we need to provide now," says Miceli. "The risk of not having the positions basically means that there's work that's not going to be done or might not be done in a timely manner." The strategic plan is expected to be completed in time for 2017 budget deliberations.