The Town of Caledon Council approved the 2015 Budget during the meeting of Council on March 3, 2015, setting the stage for Town services and capital projects for 2015 and beyond.
“The 2015 Town of Caledon budget delivers on our commitment to maintain, and in some areas improve, service levels while minimizing the overall tax impact to our residents,” said Mayor Allan Thompson. “Council, staff and the public, through a consultative process, went through the budget to identify immediate priorities, look for tax savings, and ensure the budget represents value for your tax dollar. I’m proud to announce that our overall 2015 increase of 2% is the lowest in seven years.”
Highlights of the Town of Caledon’s 2015 Budget:
The blended residential tax increase (Town + Region + Education) is 2.0%. This assumes a 0% increase in the Education tax rate.
This equates to a yearly tax increase of $17.56 per $100,000 property assessment, or an increase of $84.26 on the average home in Caledon with a value of $480,000.
Included in the 2015 Base budget, staff found $1.5 million in efficiencies to reduce the budget, without impacting service levels.
The Town continues to take advantage of the budget opportunity being made available by the Province and Region through Provincial uploading, whereby the Region’s property tax increases are offset by Provincial uploading dollars. The Town has used this opportunity to increase our Tax Funded Capital program; sustainable funding to repair, replace, improve the Town’s aging infrastructure as well as fund the Town’s share of growth-related infrastructure.
The 2015 Budget process included a number of public consultations. All documentation is available via http://www.caledon.ca/budget
The 2015 Budget serves the Town of Caledon by:
Investing in Capital Projects – including: Commitment from Council to build new Mayfield West Community Centre and Library ($40 million over four years); $3.5 million for bridges and $4.1 million for an enhanced roads program; Increased tax funded Capital from $11.5 million to $12.9 million while still maintaining a low tax rate.
Improving Customer Service – including: creating web-accessible documents for residents; additional programming staff for Parks and Recreation; introducing Public Wifi in Town Hall and Caledon Community Complex; supporting additional staffing at the Caledon Public Library; implementing accessible paperless agendas and workflow for Council processes.
Planning for Future Anticipated Growth – including: updating the Zoning bylaw and streamlining Application fees and processes in Development Approvals and Planning Policy department; increasing customer service and training to meet the upcoming development needs as Caledon continues to grow.
Investing in Municipal Leadership – including: increasedassistance to Council; Economic Development will target tourism website and wayfinding initiatives.
Safety and Security of Town/Town Assets – including: Caledon Fire and Emergency Services will create a renewed Master Fire Plan, and will investigate strategies to increase emergency response capability in the northwest; adhere to new standards in the National Safety Code for fleets; introducing three digital LED signs for villages in Caledon for increased communication to all residents.
About the Town of Caledon:
The Town of Caledon, part of the Region of Peel, is home to over 60,000 residents. The Town respectfully maintains a sustainable balance of initiatives that focus on community, environment and development, based on our Community Based Strategic Plan (CBSP). Together, staff and Council work to ensure residents, businesses and visitors enjoy a lifestyle that encourages the best of rural and urban living. Visit caledon.ca
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The budget debate was instructive in revealing the biases and likely future voting blocs among the new Councillors.