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Citizens’ group keeps a close eye on Mono’s tax rate

January 23, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Writing a municipal budget has always been a challenge, but it has been made more difficult in recent years.

The Mono Mulmur Citizens’ Coalition watched with interest as Mono finalized its 2025 municipal capital and operating budget in December. The spending plan has a 13 per cent tax levy increase over 2024.

Les Halucha, the town’s treasurer, said in December that the 2023 and 2024 budgets were difficult processes and nobody can foresee how next year’s process will turn out.

The citizens’ coalition said in a November letter to Mono council that there are a number of reasons to expect another arduous outing to determine where to spend and where to cut next year.

Over the last few years, the province has downloaded costs onto municipalities and there has been dramatic and unexpected increases in police and fire protection services. Using money from reserve funds isn’t an acceptable option to address cash shortages.

“These seem to be the most difficult and perhaps largest problems and, as the budget is reviewed, there are undoubtedly others,” the group wrote in a letter to town council.

Line-item reviews provide opportunities to reduce the budget’s final tally. Other than that, there appear to be no simple solutions toward a budget acceptable to council, town staff, and taxpayers.

The budget process is coloured by the seeming lack of interest by citizens, illustrated by low turnouts at meetings which are designed to receive citizen input.

Del Bernardi, a representative of the coalition, asked council when it met on Jan. 14 how many property owners in the town were carrying tax arrears.

“Historically, the tax arrears have been fluctuating between 10 and 12 per cent,” Halucha said. “We’re anticipating at the end of 2024 to be around 15 or 16 per cent (in arrears).”

“And those arrears do attract interest,” Mayor John Creelman said.

Bernardi asked if the percentage of property owners unable to pay taxes factors into a budget’s final tax levy.

“It does have an impact on our tax rate because … we do collect tax arrears interest,” Halucha said.

“We’re mindful of it, but it’s something that we obviously have to take into consideration because if you’re not collecting taxes you’re not able to fund anything,” Creelman said.

“That’s exactly the point we’re hoping to hear,” Bernardi said. “It seems that there is a disparity between the people who want services and the people who can’t afford their taxes. And that is widening and is a concern of our group.”

The citizens having difficulty paying taxes are often older residents who are on fixed incomes.

“Les and Treasury (staff) do a wonderful job of talking to property owners who are in arrears or behind in their payments,” Creelman said. “They work out payment schedules. They do everything they can to encourage compliance. And they take a compassionate approach to it.”


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