Barrie councillors will begin debating the city’s proposed 2009 budget – a plan that calls for a 2.8-per-cent tax increase, raises the water and sewer rates, and eliminates free dumping at the Sandy Hollow landfill site – next week.

It’s a plan that moves the cost of an array of services to user fees – and off the local tax bill.

“A report from BMA consulting suggested an area we need to improve on is increasing user fees, limiting discounts such as those on development charges and building our reserves,” said Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard, a member of the city’s finance committee.

“The challenge we have is our user fee rates are disproportionately lower than other municipalities are charging and, over the years, those fees have been subsidized by the residential homeowner. People using the services should start paying – (for services) like recreation and landfill.”

The draft plan’s 2.8-per-cent tax hike translates into $87 per year more for a home assessed at $229,000; the water and sewer increases –11 per cent on the water rate and a 15-per-cent hike on the sewer – add a further $68 to the average family’s annual utility bill, for a total of $155 more per year.

However, the city’s strategy to make those who use services pay could hit some families even more – but spare others.

The elimination of allowing residents to dispose of 500 kg of garbage free each year would add $775,000 to city coffers each year. Slowly but surely, Barrie has been forcing residents to reduce, reuse and recycle.

A decade ago, the city placed the limit on garbage – two bags. In 2006, as Barrie introduced its organics program, the city also limited garbage to one 20-kg (or 44-pound) container.

The 2009 budget also includes minor increases to an array of service-partner budgets – including $2.4 million for the Barrie Police Services Board, $737,000 for the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport (a partnership with Oro-Medonte), and $510,000 more for GO Transit.

Details will be in Thursday’s Advance, as the agencies were expected to outline their budgets to councillors Monday night. Wednesday morning, the business community will be briefed on the spending plan.
Councillors are expected to approve the budget Jan. 19.