Georgian Bluffs township hall exterior. (file photo)
Georgian Bluffs council has approved the township’s 2025 budget.
Council passed recommendations at its meeting Wednesday to adopt the operating and capital budgets for this year, which come with a municipal tax rate increase of 4.1 per cent.
The average assessed homeowner will see the annual property tax bill increase by about $83.
Changes to the 2025 budget since a meeting in November included an additional expense for the renovation of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority administrative centre, and savings on the township’s Ontario Provincial Police cost.
In late November, the Ontario government put up $77-million to support smaller rural municipalities with OPP policing costs.
Georgian Bluffs Treasurer Samantha Buchanan told councillors during Wednesday’s meeting the township’s portion will result in about a $192,000 reduction in Georgian Bluffs’ OPP costs this year.
About $1.5-million for roads, and a $5.5-million investment over three years for bridges are in Georgian Bluffs’ spending plan.
There is also a plan to spend $250,000 to install a playground at the Kemble athletic fields. But it is conditional on the township receiving grant funding. Buchanan says Georgian Bluffs is still awaiting a response after applying to the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund.
The town has also applied for grants through the same fund for several other potential parks and recreation enhancements, including washrooms at the Shallow Lake community centre, fencing at Shallow Lake Park baseball field, LED lighting for the Balmy Beach tennis courts and general rail trail improvements.