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11 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,D ecem ber 27,2018 theifp.ca Halton residents can expect a 1.9 per cent prop- erty tax hike as the region prepares to adopt a tax- supported budget of $421.3 million early in the new year, Mark Scinocca, Commissioner of Finance and Regional Treasurer, told council on Dec. 19. Scinocca addressed the highlights of the 2019 bud- get package and business plan for 2019, circulated to councillors last week, em- phasizing that the region is within its goal to keep the tax rate increase at or below the rate of infla- tion. "Regional Council is committed to support the planned growth while maintaining the objective to protect Halton tax and rate payers from the im- pacts of the growth," he said. The property tax im- pact portion of the budget takes into account both regional and police ser- vices, projecting a 1.9 per cent increase of $291 per $100,000 CVA (Current Value Assessment). This is based on a projected as- sessment growth of 1.5 per cent, which is below the more recent assessment growth percentage subse- quently provided by the Municipal Property As- sessment Corporation (MPAC), of 1.95 per cent. Assessment growth re- fers to the increase in property value in the re- gion, as a result of chang- es that occur over the course of a year. "It's higher than what's in the budget, which is an additional $1.8 million," Scinocca said, adding that the recommendation will be to transfer that extra portion to the region's tax stabilization reserve. The requested tax-sup- ported budget for both re- gional and police services combined is a total of $421.3 million net. The budget is projected to have gross expendi- tures of $547.6 million, but after factoring in subsi- dies and revenues, it is es- timated to be reduced to $265.9 million. The region's projected revenue for 2019 is broken down into six sources: property taxes (49 per cent), provincial subsi- dies (33 per cent), invest- ment income (nine per cent), program and other revenue (seven per cent), federal subsidies (one per cent) and supplementary taxes (one per cent). Some of the tax budget highlights include the fol- lowing budget increases from the 2018 budget to the 2019 requested budget: $2 million in roads opera- tions going toward ad- dressing rising State-of- Good-Repair needs, road maintenance and three new red light cameras; $900,000 in paramedic ser- vices to address call vol- umes; $900,000 in waste management to address inflation and tonnage growth, as well as organ- ics market pressure; $700,000 in planning ser- vices to support growth; $400,000 in quality and service integration, pri- marily to fund the Halton Region Community In- vestment Fund; $1.6 mil- lion for boards and agen- cies; and $2.7 million for non-program services. Regarding the rate- supported budget, resi- dents can expect a change of 3.7 per cent in water and wastewater rates for 2019 (an increase to $999 from $964 for a typical household). This figure is based on zero per cent consump- tion growth and 1.5 per cent customer growth, Scinocca said, adding that with water conservation efforts and better sys- tems, the overall con- sumption rate is not grow- ing, however, the custom- er base is on the rise. The region's net expen- ditures for the rate-sup- ported budget are project- ed to be $205.6 million. Halton Region will be holding a budget council meeting on Jan. 9 at 9:30 a.m. The budget will sub- sequently go to council for approval on Jan. 16. Both meetings will take place in Council Cham- bers at Halton Regional Centre (1151 Bronte Road, Oakville). Halton residents inter- ested in providing input on the proposed budget can register as a delegate by contacting the regional clerk, or provide com- ment via email at bud- get@halton.ca. For further informa- tion on the 2019 regional budget, visit halton.ca. COUNCIL HALTON REGION BUDGET FOR 2019 PROJECTS PROPERTY TAX HIKE OF 1.9 PER CENT VERONICA APPIA vappia@metroland.com Mark Scinocca, Commissioner of Finance and Regional Treasurer, provides an overview of the 2019 budget at the regional council meeting on Dec. 19. Veronica Appia/Metroland Meowy Chrismutt Yappy Pawlidays www.blackcreekanimalhospital.com • blackcreekanimal@cogeco.net from the staff at 519-929-9308 13383 4th Line, Acton Did you think incontinence was just a "woman's issue"? Learn how physiotherapy can help men with Pelvic Health, including incontinence and pain after prostate surgery. Incontinence can be dramatic following prostate surgery or radiation treatment. Men are alarmed by the immediate decrease in their quality of life that comes with being reliant on urinary pads throughout the day. Did you know? 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