Dryden residents won’t be asked to pay more in taxes in 2021.
The draft budget will be voted on next Monday and there is no provision for a tax hike.
Treasurer Steven Lansdell-Roll says there will be some changes at the Rec Centre in order to eliminate a $87,150 operating deficit.
“Weekend hours of operation would be reduced to 12 hours from the 24. So the facility would be open 6 hours Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. This would result in approximately $150,000 drop in the Cities general operating reserve to balance our operating budget.”
Lansdell-Roll notes the budget doesn’t include:
-Provisions for a Policing transition to OPP
-Change in the Large Industrial Tax Ratio
-Proposed Library service level increase
-Budget associated with the cost of developing a trails/pathways/bridges feasibility study
-Budget associated with the cost of designing/engineering tennis and pickle ball court development
The budget also calls for $200,000 in Municipal Accommodation Tax revenue to go into a Waterfront Development Reserve Fund.
However it’s not yet clear if the full amount will be allocated to the fund.
Councillor Shayne MacKinnon says he’s not opposed to a reserve but he doesn’t think they should be putting every dollar from the MAT tax in there.
MacKinnon says the City has walkways that need to be fixed and lights that need to be replaced.
“So let’s fix what we have and then build something wonderful for the future.”
Councillor Dave McKay says “A few years ago we went to Duluth, and they have done extensive work on their waterfront. I talked to one of the business people an it was unbelievable with the response and how it brought in tourists, how it spurred growth in restaurants and hotel.”
McKay adds “With our waterfront, it’s severely under-developed and if we do develop something down the road, it will pull people off the highway and take them through our downtown and further into our community and give people more ability to sell and provide their services.”
Councillor Norm Bush agrees stating “Dryden needs to stand up and move forward and do something with its waterfront to benefit all our citizens. We’re way behind, we’re way behind, and we shouldn’t be. We’ve got as good of a waterfront as anybody in the country.”
