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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 2, 20 21 | 32 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. 12 02 21 YardWaste Collection Ending for 2021 Help keep our compost clean When cleaning your yard, ensure only the right items make it into your paper yard waste bag or container. Yard waste is broken down into valuable compost and can be used to improve soil quality in your lawn and gardens. The final compost material will be a better product by following these tips to keep our compost clean:  Acceptable yardwastematerials • Pumpkins (remove candles and decorations) • Leaves • Twigs and sticks • Cornstalks • Fallen fruit from trees • Garden and tree trimmings Unacceptablematerials Last call for yard waste! • Your last yard waste pickup will be between December 14 and 24, 2021 on the same collection day as garbage. • Please have yard waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day, and no sooner than 5 p.m. the night before. • Use paper yard waste bags or a container with a yellow yard waste sticker. To order a sticker, visit halton.ca/waste or call 311. Oakville - last collection day Area A Tuesday, December 14, 2021 Area B Tuesday, December 21, 2021 Area C Friday, December 17, 2021 Area D Friday, December 24, 2021 Plastic bags, including clear plastic, compostable plastic or soil bags. Plastic plant pots and trays. Grass clippings, sod, tree stumps, soil, clay or rocks. Meetings at Halton Region Regional Council meetings are taking place through web conferencing until further notice. Videos will be posted to halton.ca. Yard waste collection will resume in April 2022. Yard waste can be dropped off year round at the HaltonWaste Management Site for composting. Visit halton.ca/waste for more information, fees and instructions. HaltonWaste Management Site 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton Open Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed statutory holidays   Visit oakville.ca for information on Oakville's loose leaf collection program. It's that time of year when re- gional councillors gear up to make decisions that will impact local res- idents' taxes. As the local politicians embark on the 2022 budget process, here's everything you need to know: 1. Halton staff has been directed by council to prepare the budget based on a tax increase at or below the rate of inflation (two per cent). This would equate to an additional $3 per $100,000 of the assessed value of your home for regional services. The 2022 budget document will be available for viewing at halton.ca as of Nov. 26. 2. Halton also funds the police budget, which was recently ap- proved by the Halton Police Board with a 2.5 per cent tax increase and forwarded to council for consider- ation. If approved, this would translate into an additional $2.49 per $100,000 of assessment. When combined with regional services, the potential overall tax increase on the Halton portion of your bill is $5.49 for every $100,000 of assess- ment. 3. Local residents can have their say on the topic during a bud- get meeting scheduled for Dec. 8. The session will include time for delegations and staff presenta- tions. The budget will then be up for approval by regional council on Dec. 15. For further details on how to register as a speaker, visit https://bit.ly/3DGFps0. 4. COVID-19 continues to im- pact Halton's finances. Next year's budget will include funds to sup- port the following: local residents impacted by the pandemic through Halton's ongoing rent supplement program, Halton's COVID-19 vac- cine plan, infection prevention and control measures at regional long- term-care homes and more. 5. Halton also manages the re- gion's water and sewer services and sets the annual rates, which is part of the budget process. For 2022, the rate is projected to rise by 3.3 per cent for both services, or $35 more for a typical household for the year. 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2022 HALTON BUDGET PROCESS MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@metroland.com NEWS