By Chad Ingram

Published April 12 2018

Algonquin Highlands councillors passed the township’s 2018 budget last week and the impact of the tax increase on residents should be fairly negligible.

“With the tax rate now established for education and the county as well the impact to a taxpayer for a $100000 residential assessment is only three cents” treasurer Tammy McKelvey told council during an April 5 meeting.

There is a small increase at the upper-tier level and the education tax rate has actually dropped for the year so the overall residential tax rate increase in Algonquin Highlands is 0.5 per cent. Residential taxes in the township equate to $679.95 per $100000 of assessment.

Local municipal taxes in Algonquin Highlands comprise 46 per cent of the tax bill the county and the school board 29 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

The budget contains $9.5 million in spending approximately $5 million of which will be levied from taxation.

Some budget highlights include the resurfacing of North Shore Road from Highway 35 to St. Peter’s Road; the installation of energy-efficient windows at township buildings; the resurfacing of the baseball diamond at Stanhope Park; and the second phase of a renovation of the weight room at the Dorset Recreation Centre.