The mayor of Huron East says the cuts to their Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding for next year wasn't a surprise. But Mayor Bernie MacLellan adds that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.
MacLellan says there were some smaller increases in other areas, but Huron East will see a net reduction of about $256,000 in 2017. That translates into an increase of about 4.5% in the budget.
MacLellan adds there's not much any of the lower-tier municipalities can do because the province is looking for money to balance its books. He says they're doing that through property taxes at the lower-tier level, and it looks like they're going to keep doing it for another three years.
MacLellan also points out that the 4.5% increase is only one item. They still have several other cost increases to consider and they don't know yet what the county or education share will be.
MacLellan says the combination of rising costs and reduced income is forcing most lower-tier municipalities to take a serious look at the services they deliver -- and determine what's necessary and what isn't, and what can be done more efficiently.