The budget for the Region of Queens has come down, and taxes will rise by 2 cents this year.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday council approved the budget motion, which came after several months of deliberations over project priorities within the municipality.<\/p>\n
Mayor David Dagley says no one project or cost increase caused the need. Instead increases across the board, which saw the municipal expenditures go up by $1 million dollars to $20.8 million dollars, are what caused the increase.<\/p>\n
The budget also has set out several capital infrastructure projects for the upcoming year. The largest being the sewer and water work on Waterloo Street, which will cost around 4.7 million dollars. The cost is being shared between all three levels of government.<\/p>\n
Mayor Dagley said despite the tax increase, he is encouraged by what he sees in the community. With new investments, such as Aqualitis and apartment complexes, and expansions of existing businesses from White Point and Mersey Seafoods, he says the slide down after the Bowater mill closure in 2012 seems to be finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an initial reduction, businesses that closed, people that moved away and taxes that weren\u2019t paid,\u201d he said. \u201cI would say now the reduction resulting of the Bowater Closure is behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the recent federal budget will likely mean a boost to what the Region of queens can do to upgrade infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The federal government allotted another $2.2 billion to municipalities. Mayor Dagley expects that will double the $700,000 they receive already, however it wasn\u2019t included in the budget because it still needs final approval by the house.<\/p>\n
He said the money would go to further upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure, as well as rural broadband internet to parts of Queens County that need upgrades.<\/p>\n