FORT FRANCES – The Town of Fort Frances had to increase property taxes by 5.56 per cent this year, says Mayor Andrew Hallikas.
“No councillor liked this, but the alternative was to start cutting services – and then what services do you cut?” he said in an interview Wednesday.
“And as soon as you start cutting services, you start to make your community less attractive to business and industry and, in particular, getting young families and young professionals to move into the community.”
The 5.56 per cent increase was needed to cover inflation and “uncontrollable costs” such as Ontario Provincial Police billing and the District of Rainy River Services Board’s levy, he said.
Policing, the services board levy and the Northwestern Health Unit levy “are about 42 per cent of our budget,” he said.
Hallikas said he’s “proud of our administration” for keeping the tax increase low “in such a difficult time.”
One area trimmed in the budget passed by council on Monday was library funding.
A $14,000-plus cut to the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre will mean reduction of operating hours and staff, library chief executive officer Richard Bee said Wednesday.
Effective April 1, the library will be open 50 hours per week instead of the current 55, Bee said.
Permanent library staff will remain at one part-time and five full-time employees, but Bee said the library will employ one less student shelver this year.
