Council to vote on budget, package includes chopping 12 crossing guards 

Posted December 16, 2024

 

New Tecumseth council is scheduled tonight to approve a 2025 budget package that will increase the municipal portion of property taxes 3.67 per cent on a home with an assessed value of $456,000. When combined with the County and Education components the average increase will add $144 to the total tax bill. A one-time provincial grant helped New Tecumseth eliminate more than $1.1 million from taxation for OPP.

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Dollar wise, the largest hit to the tax bill is an increase of $4.4M overall, broken down as $3.1M in salaries and $1.3K in benefits, including WSIB. This includes a 2.5 per cent COLA adjustment, staff grid progressions and benefit inflation factors of five per cent.

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Council did freeze plans to add 13 new people to the payroll excluding for Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) staff (offset by anticipated revenues) and the Procurement & Insurance Agent (funded by capital) - which reduced the buget by $320,500, just under one per cent in taxation.

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​Beginning April 1, 2025, water rates will increase 15 per cent, an average home using 200 cubic meters of water per year is approximately $76 or $6.33 per month and 8.5 per cent on sewage - billed quarterly.

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Pending any changes tonight, one of the larger budget cuts will be the reduction of 12 crossing guards deemed unnecessary as the locations don't meet minimum traffic, student warrants, saving the Town $171,600.

 

"The crossing guard program has faced challenges with consistent staff turnover, often requiring office staff to cover shifts, according to a report to council. "Twelve of the 22 locations in 2023 did not meet the minimum warrant requirements as determined by (consultant) WSP."​

 

Below is the list of locations and the 12 proposed to be eliminated.​

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