Media Release - Council Approves 2021 Budget

Township of West Lincoln

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 2, 2021

Council Approves 2021 Budget

West Lincoln, Ont. – March 2^nd - At its March 1^st Council meeting, the Township of West Lincoln approved a 2021 Operating Budget of $18.6 million and a 2021 Capital Budget of $5.9 million.

This budget is supported with a general tax levy of $8,130,140 that includes a new levy of $75,300 for the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital rebuild.  A homeowner with an average assessed home valued at $382,397 can expect to see their overall tax bill increase by an estimated 3.10% or $11.32/month. The 2021 budget focused on building adequate reserve levels and on expanding the volume of road rehabilitation works.  In addition, this budget commits funding for the hard-topping of a gravel road.

Some 2021 budget highlights include:

• $1.3 million of road rehabilitation projects covering 5 km of roads, which represents an increase of $165,000 from 2020 spending;
• A $630,000 project to hard-top just under 4 km. of road on Concession 5 between Abingdon Road and Westbrook Road which represents the first hard-topping of a road in over ten years
• Commencement of work on the $ 5 million St. Ann’s Road and Bridge Reconstruction project which has received $4.2 million of funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) Rural and Northern Stream
• The replacement of a Fire Tanker truck at $450,000;
• $1.12 million for the replacement of a backhoe, one single axle truck and two tandem trucks with plow units
• $778,000 of Capital works related to Environmental Infrastructure including $485,000 of rehabilitation works on the Brock Street water and storm sewer assets
• Two projects totaling $185,000 have been approved that will support business and employment opportunities: an Economic Development Master plan for the Industrial Park and a Rural Employment Zone study.

The Township is now able to provide budget data through OpenBook in an easy to use format using charts, graphs and maps.

 MAYOR BYLSMA STATED:

“I’m really pleased with the work and negotiations that our staff and Council put in to this budget. It responds to a most challenging year and reflects a balance between service and affordability. The addition of a hospital levy allows us to meet our commitment to this rebuild alongside our municipal and regional counterparts. It includes a long awaited restart of our tar and chipping program on some of our gravel roads”. 

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