News from Niagara, Ontario’s Regional
This February 20th, 2015 Niagara Regional Council approved the Region’s 2015 budget. This budget focuses on maintaining existing services and supporting new programs that will enable economic prosperity, while limiting the impact to tax payers to less than the rate of inflation.
Residents will see an increase of approximately 1.92 per cent in Regional taxes this year, after Council passed its 2015 tax supported operating budget of $321.9 million. For the average house assessed at $236,134, the 1.92 per cent budget tax increase will result in an additional $27.50 per household.
Niagara Regional Chair Al Caslin
“Niagara Region’s 2015 budget is focused on maintaining current service levels and new initiatives that will encourage economic prosperity in Niagara,” said Regional Chair Alan Caslin. “This budget enables us to invest in GO transit throughout the Region and advance inter-municipal transit, will improve front-line emergency services, and will foster a welcoming environment for the private sector to bring investment and new jobs to Niagara.”
“For 2015, we’ve kept the tax increase low by becoming more effective and efficient, thereby identifying $2.41 million in sustainable cost savings”, said Councillor David Barrick, Chair of the Budget Review Committee of the Whole. “This approach aligns with our tax payer affordability strategy and ensures that we are making valuable investments in the programs and services that will lead the way to a stronger and healthier Niagara,” concluded Barrick.
The 2015 operating budget maintains all current programs and services and provides funding for new and enhanced services that will support economic prosperity, including:
$2.7 million to advance inter-municipal transit in Niagara, including new transit routes to connect GO transit stops along the QEW
Advancing advocacy and planning for GO Transit in Niagara, including a mobility hub study that will look at potential GO transit stations in St. Catharines, Grimsby, Niagara Falls and Beamsville
$2.3 million in funding to support economic development initiatives, including Niagara’s Economic Action Plan that will support business growth and job creation
$2.2 million to fund tax grants and financial incentives for new and existing industrial and commercial businesses
$1.7 million to fund a range of employment supports and activities that will enable vulnerable residents to achieve independence through sustainable employment
Ongoing funding to ensure the availability of high-quality, subsidized childcare options for working parents
Increased investments in frontline staff to support emergency medical and community services to enable a healthy and strong Niagara
Regional Council approved the 2015 rate supported budget on Jan. 15, including a combined 0.84 per cent increase in the Water and Wastewater programs and a 0.66 per cent increase in Waste Management services. These annual impacts are approximate and will vary municipality to municipality.
Regional Council also approved a capital budget of $155.7 million to support the following significant infrastructure projects in 2015:
$53.6 million for Niagara’s transportation road network, including funding for the Central Avenue Bridge replacement and road resurfacing throughout the region
$56 million to fund water and wastewater treatment, transmission and collection infrastructure, including upgrades to the Welland Wastewater Treatment Plant, Port Colborne Water Treatment Plant and pump station improvements
$10 million to proceed with the court facilities renewal project, to establish new accommodations for Provincial Offences courthouses in Niagara
The tax supported operating budget, rate supported budget and capital budget contribute to the total 2015 gross budget of $1 billion.
For further information on the Region’s budget visit http://www.niagararegion.ca.
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