Essex Town Council has approved the town's 2022 Budget with an average 1.69 per cent increase to the property tax rate.
The figure, after Council approved the Capital Budget Monday, also includes the County of Essex and education tax levies factored in.
The total budget includes $69 million in revenues, with $20.8 million allocated to capital projects and infrastructure upgrades.
A combination of reserves, grants, and long-term debt will contribute to fund these projects, along with an average increase to the total tax rate, across all four wards, of 1.69 per cent, in line with inflation.
The new tax rate will mean an average increase of $49 for a median home valued at $187,000, assuming no increase to the education tax rate.
Ward 3 Councillor Chris Vander Doelen believes one of the most important items is $500,000 set aside for the extension of paved shoulders along County Road 50.
Vander Doelen says two years ago a portion of those shoulders were paved as part of the County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS).
"We've started to put the money away, the project will be done. That will be a huge improvement to the quality of life to the south end of Ward 3 in the Town of Essex. It will also be a huge improvement to tourism because an increasing number of people like to walk and ride along the north shore of Lake Erie," he says.
The County of Essex and Amherstburg are both part of the over $2-million project, with extension work expected to begin in 2023.
Vander Doelen says engineering challenges is one of the reasons why there have been so many delays to pave the shoulders on County Road 50.
"Those shoulders are very narrow and in many places too narrow to have a paved bike lane. In some areas there's no should at all, so we have to create a shoulder and those shoulders will require new culverts and some other engineering work," he says.
Vander Doelen notes that the property tax increase will vary slightly depending on where someone lives in Essex.
Property taxes are slightly higher in Wards 2 and 3, that's the former Colchester North and Colchester South, which I represent. I mean slightly, 1.8 {percent} and it's like 1.6 {percent} something in Wards 1 and 4, which is Essex Town Centre and Harrow Town Centre," he adds.
Formal adoption of the 2022 Budget will happen at the Feb. 22 Regular Council Meeting.
Budget highlights include:
- $8.9 million for the Essex Streetscape Project
- $725K for reconstruction of North Malden Rd (between CR15 and Walker Sideroad)
- $500K reserve contribution for the completion of the CR-50 trail system
- $70K for completion of washrooms at the Harrow Splash Pad
- $81K reserve contribution for the future development of Co-An Park
With files from Rob Hindi