Combined 2.0% levy increase in 2021 for North Perth

At the North Perth Council Meeting held on Monday, March 1, 2021, the Council of the Municipality of North Perth approved the 2021 Capital and Operating Budget. The budget addresses the need to support important municipal services, meet the service expectations of our citizens, and invest in current and future infrastructure and asset needs, while limiting tax increases during a time when many of our ratepayers are facing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Property taxes paid by North Perth taxpayers reflect taxes levied by the Municipality, the County of Perth and local school boards. When all three 2021 levy requisitions are combined, the overall levy increase in North Perth will be 2.0%. Due to assessment shifts, the 2021 residential levy impact is about 1.2% or approximately 10 cents per day.

Industrial and commercial properties in North Perth will see a reduction in their taxes for 2021. This is a result of the reduction of the Education Tax Rate, which is set by the Province, for industrial and commercial property classifications. School Board levies, as set by the Province, and County of Perth levies, as set by the County, are collected by the Municipality as part of your property tax billing.

During 2021 Budget deliberations, Council directed staff to make solid waste management (i.e., garbage collection and landfill tipping fees) a full user cost recovery service. As a result, property tax revenue will not be required moving forward to support waste management. Depending on the size of your garbage wheelie bin, you will see a $30-$60 user fee increase in 2021. The annual user fee charged for your garbage wheelie bin covers the service cost for garbage collection.

See the attached media release for an example of the 2021 residential property tax and user fees for a $450,000 residential assessment in the municipality.

The 2021 Capital Budget includes a total project cost estimate of just over $19.7 million, with carryover projects representing 32% of the overall amount. Project work is being funded by development charges revenues, reserves/reserve funds, the tax levy, donations and provincial/federal grant funding.

Examples of some significant carryover and new projects for 2020 include:

• Albert Storm Trunk
• Traffic Study/Transportation Master Plan
• Line 84 Reconstruction
• Replacement of Fire Apparatus
• Listowel Memorial Arena Demolition and Redevelopment
• John Bell South and John Bell North Ball Light Tower Replacement
• Hydraulic Re-rating of the Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Water Meter Replacement Program (installation to occur in 2022)

The development of the 2021 Budget had a strong focus on public input and engagement. North Perth ratepayers were invited to provide their input on the 2021 Budget through the Pre-Budget Survey (September 2020), Budget Meetings (October 2020-January 2021), and a virtual presentation and consultation on the draft 2021 Budget (February 2021). The Council of the Municipality of North Perth and staff would like to thank the public for participating in developing the future of North Perth via the 2021 budget deliberations.

“Council worked very hard this year to present a responsible budget and one that reflects how much growth the municipality is still experiencing and the current needs of our ratepayers,” said Councillor Dave Johnston, Budget Committee Chair for the 2021 budget. “I believe this budget is both responsible and progressive to serve the needs of our growing community.”

View the full 2021 Operating and Capital Budget Report available on the North Perth website: www.northperth.ca/budget.

For questions, please contact:

Becky Belfour, Deputy Treasurer
Municipality of North Perth
Email: bbelfour@northperth.ca
Phone: 519-291-2950 ext. 2071

Attachments