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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 7, 20 21 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA Halton Regional Coun- cil recently approved the 2021 Budget and Business Plan. While we continue to re- spond to the COVID-19 pan- demic and keep our com- munity safe, our 2021 bud- get also looks toward the future by investing in crit- ical program enhance- ments and services that our residents and busi- nesses rely on to maintain a high quality of life. The budget also achieves council's objec- tive to keep property tax in- creases at, or below, the rate of inflation, with a 1.5 per cent property tax in- crease for regional servic- es. When combined with a 2.5 per cent tax increase for the Halton Regional Police Service, the overall region- al property tax increase is 1.8 per cent. It also includes a utility rate increase of 2.6 per cent for water and wastewater services. Some of the key invest- ments include: • COVID-19 Response: $12.3 million for additional costs in public health, paramedic services, long- term care and housing, as well as facility and technol- ogy-related costs, with strategic investments to meet ongoing staffing re- quirements. The majority of this in- vestment is funded by the federal and provincial Safe Restart Agreement and additional provincial funding, resulting in a net cost to taxpayers of $1.2 million; • State-of-good-repair program: $8.0 million in- crease in transfers to sup- port the water and waste- water state-of-good-repair capital program; • Strategic Investments: $2.5 million to support the objectives, outcomes and actions identified in the Region's 2019--2022 Strate- gic Business Plan, and ad- dress pressures driven by growth and increased de- mand for services; • Children's services: $1.0 million to maintain the current number of subsi- dized child-care spaces as a result of provincial fund- ing reductions; and • Halton Region Com- munity Investment Fund: $500,000 to meet new and emerging community needs, pivot to virtual ser- vice delivery models, re- spond to public health di- rectives and address Com- munity Safety and Well-Be- ing issues. To learn more about the Region's 2021 Budget and Business Plan and the in- vestments we are making to keep Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire, please visit hal- ton.ca. Gary Carr is regional chair of Halton Region. To contact him, email gary.carr@halton.ca. BUDGET LOOKS TOWARD INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE'S A LOOK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HALTON'S 2021 BUDGET, WRITES GARY CARR Successful investing starts with understanding your needs and under- standing the characteris- tics of the investment being considered. That informs your deci- sion on whether a particu- lar investment is suitable for you. A simple three-step pro- cess can be your formula to successful investing. ONE - KNOW YOURSELF Whether you self-man- age or have a financial ad- viser, the starting point is understanding yourself. What are your ultimate objectives, and how com- fortable are you with nor- mal investment risk? What risks should you consider taking, based on your per- sonal and financial cir- cumstances? What is your time frame? Is this money going to pay for your children's post-secondary education that starts in two or three years? Or is this money go- ing to help you prepare for a comfortable retirement a decade or more away? TWO - UNDERSTAND THE INVESTMENT Investments have many different characteristics. These include expected re- turns, anticipated volatili- ty, liquidity, risk and costs. You are buying an in- vestment. Use the same skills as when you are buy- ing a house or any other significant asset. What are the pros and cons of a specific invest- ment option? Before you can make an informed decision, you should understand exactly what you are buying. THREE - SUITABILITY The final decision is whether or not a particular investment is suitable. This will rely heavily on the first two steps. The bet- ter understanding of the first two steps will make the decision both easier to make and better for you. The issue is whether this "good investment" is good for you. Peter Watson, MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI, of Watson Investments, offers a weekly financial plan- ning column, Dollars and Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsonin- vestments.com. THREE STEPS FOR SUCCESSFUL INVESTING FINANCIAL PLANNING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSON Column GARY CARR Column