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Halton passes 2016 budget with 1.9 per cent hike by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Friday, December 18, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Halton residents will face a tax hike of 1.9 per cent on the regional portion of their next property tax bill. The increase, approved by Halton Regional council Wednesday (Dec. 16), translates into a $24 increase for a home assessed at $400,000 to maintain and improve regional service levels for 2016. That includes Halton police services and its budget hike of 1.9 per cent. It does not, however, include municipal and education taxes. During a budget information session in November, Commissioner of Finance and Regional Treasurer Mark Scinocca told Regional councillors the budget and business plan maintains service levels in core service areas and ensures priorities identified by Regional council through the Strategic Action Plan. The Strategic Action Plan, which outlines council's goals for 2015-18, focuses on planning health, complete communities, growing the Regional economy, connecting people with services, governing for the future, adapting to climate change and protecting the natural environment. Scinocca noted the Region wants to maintain a strong financial position (the Region has maintained a AAA rating for the past 24 years), support planned growth while maintaining the objective of protecting residents from the impacts related to growth and taking care of the Region's assets and infrastructure. A number of councillors commended Halton Region staff on their hard work in putting together the 2016 Budget and Business Plan that has set out to achieve many Regional council objectives. "Regional council and staff are committed to being a transparent, accountable and fiscally-responsible government," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "The 2016 budget demonstrates this commitment through strategic investments that will contribute to a high quality of life in Halton while also protecting the Region's longterm financial position and financial sustainability." Burlington Councillor John Taylor congratulated the finance department and others that contributed to the The 2016 budget demonstrates this commitment through strategic investments that will contribute to a high quality of life in Halton while also protecting the Region's long-term financial position and financial sustainability. Halton Region Chair Gary Carr Halton Region Chair Gary Carr budget process. "Each year the budget book gets easier to read and understand," he said. The budget plan increases utility rates by five per cent, or $42, for a household with an average consumption rate of 250 cubic metres per year. Of that five per cent increase, 1.6 per cent will fund operating costs of water and wastewater systems to keep Halton's drinking water safe; 1.1 per cent is allocated for investment in the basement flooding mitigation program; and 2.3 per cent will be invested in treatment plants and pipeline systems. Some of the strategic investments for 2016 include: · $2 million for paramedic services to hire an additional five to six paramedics, purchase power stretchers and enhance its off-loading nurse program; · $1.4 million for Halton Region Community Investment Fund, up from $828,000; · $250,000 has been earmarked for affordable housing and the comprehensive housing strategy; · $2.4 million for the Oakville Seniors Citizens Residence as a onetime $2.4 million payment for repairs and maintenance of the facility; · $899,000 investment in the road maintenance and resurfacing program. Other budget highlights include: a $719,000 subsidy reduction for public health, in part because of some program uploads to the Province; $550,000 for a new internship and apprenticeship program; $200,000 for a low-income older adult tax deferral program; and, $50,000 for a heritage tax rebate program. The budget plan also makes investments in the Burlington Beach master plan ($751,000); additional resources in children's services to support growth in the number of families receiving services; a basement flooding mitigation strategy, which will require a total of $60.4 million in capital funding over the next 10 years; the active transportation plan and the paramedics master plan; and, a pilot project to operate the Regional landfill on Sunday. 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