Some sticker shock coming from Bruce County Council.
The Planning and Tourism Departments presented Council with a 16.5 percent budget increase for 2009 at the A-T-P meeting in Wiarton.
The 2008 budget was 2.4 million dollars and the department finished the year in the black.
Director of Planning Chris LaForest says the increase is due to the amount of staff being brought in and the resources needed to go after tourism dollars.
He adds there will also be requests for donations from community groups and non-profit organizations that will require more money in the budget for 2009.
LaForest says the web is the main mechanism for promoting business in Bruce County and many Mom-and-Pop operations don’t have money for advertising.
He says they have to spend that kind of money in order to attract the ever-shrinking tourism dollar.
However, the consensus of Council feel that the increase is too much and would not support it.
Warden Bill Goetz says you have to be frugal with the sign of the times.
He says you have to keep the taxpayer in mind and perhaps this year they should keep increases to a minimum.
Goetz says it blows your mind when you see a budget like the one the Planning Department presented.
He says Council will be looking through all of the budgets before deciding which ones will get top priority.
