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3 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,January 31,2019 theifp.ca For more details, please visit georgetownsoccerclub.com or contact info@georgetownsoccerclub.com Now accepting sponsorships for 2019 outdoor house league teams Support the not-for-profit Georgetown Soccer Club by displaying your company name on a house league team jersey. Cost is only $350 with choice of age group (U6-U16) and some choice of colour. Locally Owned & Operated since 1958! and all auto clubs.Provider for Freight up to 32,000 lbs Dock level or ground Enclosed Trailer SINCE 1958 905-877-4471 • Georgetown Serving Georgetown, Milton & Surrounding Halton Hills • Live Dispatch • Scrap Removal • Priority Response • Towing, Hauling Services rving Georgetown, Milton & Surrounding Halton Hills 46 Guelph St. years in a row! 18 getown, Milton & Surrounding Halton Hills getown, Milton & Surrounding Halton Hills getown, Milton & Surrounding Halton Hills Halton Hills town coun- cil has approved a net op- erating budget of $50.6 million for 2019, which in- cludes a 3.9 per cent prop- erty tax hike. The 3.9 per cent in- crease hits the tax-hike limit for Halton Hills - a mandate the town has fol- lowed for a number of years. When factoring in property tax impacts for the region and education, as well, Halton Hills resi- dents can expect a total tax increase of 2.4 per cent (to $849 per $100,000 resi- dential assessment, from $829 in 2018). "This is the fourth con- secutive year coming in at 3.9 per cent," Mayor Rick Bonnette told council on Jan. 21. "We are maintain- ing the town's fiscal posi- tion, and this keeps us in line with our long term fi- nancial plan." The town's operating expenditures are broken down to 12 per cent to fire services, 15 per cent to rec- reation for culture, five per cent to library servic- es, three per cent for envi- ronmental services, six per cent for planning and development, 18 per cent for transportation and transit, three per cent for parks and open space, 21 per cent for capital and long-term planning, and 17 per cent for administra- tion. Budget highlights in- clude an assessment growth of 2.8 per cent ($1.4 million), $1.7 million in salary and benefit in- creases, $525,950 in contri- butions to reserves as per the long range financial plan, $401,500 for corpo- rate technology and stra- tegic plan recommenda- tions, $444,700 for the ac- celeration for the fire ser- vices master plan, and $153,500 for the expansion of youth services in Georgetown and Acton. Taxation accounts for 68 per cent of revenue used toward the operating bud- get, with the remaining balance mainly funded by user fees, service charges and interest. The 2019 capital budget is $21.3 million, with a main focus on transporta- tion and transit (51 per cent), recreation and cul- ture (11.3 per cent) and ad- ministration (12.3 per cent). Notable projects in- clude the Halton Hills Drive extension, Arm- strong Avenue recon- struction, and the rehabil- itation of 5 Side Road from Trafalgar Road to Winston Churchill Boulevard. While part of the fund- ing for the capital pro- gram stems from reserves (35.6 per cent), the remain- der is derived from devel- opment charges (19.9 per cent), debt (17.4 per cent), grants (15.7 per cent), tax levy (11.3 per cent) and re- coveries and contribu- tions (0.1 per cent). NEWS TOWN OF HALTON HILLS APPROVES BUDGET WITH 3.9 PER CENT TAX INCREASE VERONICA APPIA vappia@metroland.com THE ISSUE: HALTON HILLS IS INCREASING PROPERTY TAX HIKE BY 3.9 PER CENT FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED ACCORDING TO A TOWN MANDATE LOCAL IMPACT: THE INCREASE WORKS OUT TO ABOUT $849 TAX BILL PER $100,000 RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT STORY BEHIND THE STORY Taxes helped pay for notable town projects such as the Halton Hills Drive extension and Armstrong Avenue reconstruction.