Meaford Council has approved it’s controversial 2008 budget.
The municipality’s budget was approved by a 5-2 vote by council last night which has a tax increase of 11.5 per cent for residents.
That works out to an extra 150 dollars on the tax bill for the average home assessed at 100 thousand dollars.
The total buget is 10 million dollars.
Councillor Jim McPherson was of the council members to vote against the budget.
McPherson says he feels staff did not do enough tax savings or cuts and that has left the municipality to deal with a high tax increase.
McPherson says he also doesn’t believe it will be a one time tax hit for residents and sees another serious tax hit for next year.
Councillor Gerald Shortt says he is upset with the tax increase but feels it’s the responsible way to deal with what happened in the past.
RAMSS President Bill Taylor spoke up during the meeting asking for council to not pass the budget and hold more public meetings for input.
Mayor Francis Richardson says from what he has heard from the public they knew the tax increase was unavoidable and they didn’t want another public meeting.
Richardson says some staff have begun the work for the 2009 budget and he says it will be done in a far better fashion then the 2008 one.
