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4 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, January 13, 2011 GEORGETOWN SOCCER CLUB Town tax hike pegged at 6.5% By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Despite repeated comments over the last week of it being a tough budget year, Halton Hills budget committee approved the 2011 operating budget Tuesday night-- after adding another $168,000 worth of items and bumping a 5.9 per cent increase to 6.5 per cent. Town staff had proposed a 5.9 per cent increase to 2011 taxes, that combined with Regional and education taxes would mean an overall 2.9 per cent increase on property tax bills. But discussion moved quickly on the budget, with the majority of budget committee-- all members of council-- approving the budget in one night instead of using the three nights set aside. Opposing budget approval were Councillors Mike O'Leary, Bryan Lewis and Bob Inglis. Approved was a $30.6 million budget that will mean a 6.5 per cent ($23 per $100,000 of assessment) increase for Halton Hills property owners. Combined with proposed Region taxes of 1.4 per cent ($6) and possibly no change to the education taxes, the overall tax increase will be 2.9 per cent ($29/$100,000 residential assessment). The Town's portion includes a base budget increase of 3.7 per cent, a fire levy of 1.2 per cent, a special infrastructure levy of 1.0 per cent, and a library operating levy of 0.6 per cent. If approved at the January 24 council meeting, the hiring a heritage planner/co-ordinator ($98,500) could increase the budget. Also to be discussed on Jan. 24 is Halton Healthcare Services request for a $4.5 million Town contribution for a hospital expansion, and while it's not part of the operating budget, an affirmative decision could further impact property taxes. In his presentation to budget committee, Town Treasurer Ed DeSousa noted that 68 per cent of the Town's revenues comes from taxation, 10 per cent from user fees, 5 from building and development fees, and 17 per cent from corporate revenue and other sources (provincial grants). "That taxation amount, compared to other municipalities, is rather high," he said, adding that user fees, which are considered "somewhat low", are being examined for a potential increase. Additions to the budget included: · $40,000 to the Cultural Roundtable to be used as core funding so that it can continue to provide support service to more than 100 cultural and heritage organizations in Halton Hills. Committee members had made a presentation requesting $60,000, but councillors were more receptive to $40,000. CounSee pg. 5 ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE SOON FOR THE 2011 OUTDOOR SEASON!! for all players between the ages of 5 and 18 (born in 1993 to 2006) Online registration for the 2011 outdoor season will be available through our website at www.georgetownsoccerclub.com from January 24 to February 6, 2011 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! (registration is on a first-come, first-served basis) Georgetown Volkswagen Pure o. m / $ 239 . 0 mos % or 6 3.9 f wn $0 Do HST incl. 203 Guelph St. 905.877.5285 mo / 9 2 $3 .9 n, 3 Dow $0 % Pick of the Week $ .9 n, 3 Dow $0 30 oF.inance mo. 9/m % incl. HST 0 for 6 ce inan o. F 0m 6 r fo incl. HST . Stk 6720 Stk 6622 2007 City Jetta 2.0 5-Speed Manual Heated seats, power sliding sunroof and alloy wheels. VW Warranty to Jan/2013- 41 ,959 km 2006 Jetta 2.0T 6-Speed Tiptronic Air conditioning, power windows, heated seats, keyless entry... VW Warranty to Jan/2013 - 73,849 km incl. HST $ .9 n, 3 Dow $0 33 oF.inance mo. 9/m % incl. HST 0 for 6 mo / 9 4 $5 .9 n, 4 Dow $0 % ce inan o. F 0m 6 r fo . Stk 6719 2007 City Golf 2.0 Automatic Multi-adjustable front seats - including height adjustment, split folding rear seats, air conditioning, and Euro-tuned suspension make every drive fun. Volkswagen Warranty to January/2013 - 77 ,21 7 km. Stk 6677 Stk 6643 2006 Passat 2.0T 6-Spd Manual Power sliding sunroof, allow wheels, air conditioning, & more. VW Warranty to Jan/2013- 99,070 km 2006 Touareg 3.2 6-Spd Tiptronic 4Motion all-wheel-drive, heated seats, power sunroof, etc. VW Warranty to Jan/2013 - 95,550 km Search our entire inventory at GeorgetownVW.com 1 12-point Total Vehicle Inspection Complete CarProof Vehicle History Report 2-year or 40,000 km limited warranty 2 years of Roadside Assistance 0.9% financing up to 24 months O.A.C. We're open 24h at GeorgetownVW.com Find more details at GeorgetownVW.com for qualified college & university grads. You Deserve the Best for Less. Our entire inventory of VolkswagenPure Certified Pre-owned Vehicles are priced to sell. $500 Rebate