Chatham-Kent councillors will begin deliberations today on the proposed 2023 municipal budget.
After being cancelled yesterday due to inclement weather, the first day of budget deliberations will take place at 6 p.m. tonight at the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre.
The current draft budget presented to council earlier this month proposes a tax hike of 6.35 per cent, which is an annual increase of around $200 for the average taxpayer with a home valued at $173,100.
While the proposed tax increase is significantly higher than in previous years due to inflation, it could have been even higher.
In 2022, Chatham-Kent administration was directed by council to deliver a draft budget with an increase no greater than the rate of inflation, plus an additional 1.5 per cent for capital infrastructure. This would have worked out to an increase of 8.35 per cent, however, administration was able to find efficiencies and reductions to bring the total increase down by two per cent.
“To me, that’s what makes it so remarkable because we were able to reduce our costs of running operations but we’re not lowering the level of services,” said Chatham-Kent CAO Michael Duben.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said the proposed budget maintains all current levels of public services with no closures or cuts to service.
“There’s not [one] iota of service cuts… If we’re not at least maintaining or improving services, I’m not going to consider looking at it,” said Canniff. “Historically, council has not been interested in cutting service levels in any way, shape, or form. I don’t believe that’s something we’ll look at because the public doesn’t want it. We’ve heard that very clearly.”
According to the municipality, the proposed budget will maintain services at a minimal increase of 0.61 per cent.
Budget deliberations will continue on January 31 and if needed, additional meetings will take place on February 1 and 2.