Proposed operating budget details available on City website
Monday, March 18, 2013 by: SooToday.com Staff
As reported earlier by SooToday.com's Darren Taylor, city council will begin 2013 budget discussions today.
If you'd like a detailed look at the numbers before council, go here and then click on Agenda and Proposed Budget.
As things currently stand, the recommended operating budget is $99.6 million.
That's up 4.42 percent over 2012.
If approved, the change would mean a 3.56 percent property tax increase on the average residential home valued at $146,000.
In turn, that would translate into added costs of just under $100 for 2013.
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mallet 3/18/2013 2:02:25 PM Report As the old saying goes.. for a household a hundred here and there... a city a million here and there... a province 10 mil here and there... and the country 100 million here and there ... And pretty soon you are talking real money!!!
HONEST1 3/18/2013 2:12:42 PM ReportOkay city hall if it's only a hundred bucks then you eat it!!! Figure it out and don't try to take from us home owners. Enough is enough!! There will be protest over this increase. You bullied us home owners to ##### long!
publicserviceworker 3/18/2013 2:53:55 PM ReportI would ask all citizens of Sault Ste Marie to send their local ward counsellor an email voicing their disgust on this tax increase...... if you don’t let them know you are upset, then they will decide to increase the tax. Here's an idea....have city management find ways to cut in each department. A little here and a little there might be enough so the tax payers don’t have to pick up the slack of our cites’ mismanagement.... Maybe less city workers standing around at job sites, maybe turn those huge trucks off when its coffee break, maybe, maybe, maybe something other than asking it of the people working their butts off to provide for their families.....
The Province is making the hard decisions to find ways to cut their budget.
The federal government is finding ways to cut their budget.
Why is Joe and his team not finding ways to cut????????
soothunderbird 3/18/2013 3:06:32 PM ReportI dont disagree with some tax increases with the city, but the fact that employees and city hall members consistently are getting raises year after year, well above the average worker, is a f**king travesty. I agree with Honest's comment that city hall members will be "open season" in due time,
so beware cheating faggots....
thumbs4208 3/18/2013 3:07:48 PM ReportYeah we have to stand together - a $100 bucks to me is a lot - turn the trucks off - have two guys watching the third work instead of three guys watching.
ThinkAgain 3/18/2013 3:11:09 PM ReportBoth provincial and federal governments have been cutting back, its time Joe & his department to start working for his paycheck and start cutting & saving.
Tax hike my ass, PUC just hit us with an increase.
Nunavut 3/18/2013 3:28:28 PM ReportYou have to laugh, because typical process at city hall for spending is the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Example : City hall did the transit survey a few months ago and got 1000 responses and probably 50% were bicyclist that tricked the system and entered the survey twenty or thirty times each ...and so now your tax dollars are going to be used to get more bicycle lanes for the minority.........the rest will have to put up with potholes and other service cuts. Until the city learns how to filter out the squeaky wheels and sticks to the basics......the tax rates will continue to soar !!
Grace 3/18/2013 3:37:55 PM ReportPlease take time to read through the budget information and starting at 4:30 go down to council chambers and watch the discussions or watch on cable 10.
Take notes of what of interest or concerns you may have.
April 3rd is the open ratepayer meeting from 7-9 in the Russ Ramsay Room.
publicserviceworker 3/18/2013 3:47:50 PM Reportcitizens can obtain their counsellors email from the city's main web page.... take five minutes to send an email to your and voice your distaste.
Paddlenut 3/18/2013 4:03:15 PM ReportI'm less than thrilled about a tax hike, and combined with the massive MPAC assessment on my property, pretty nervous about what it all means. I will also voice my opinion. Remember that any cut to the tax rate comes with a cut to what's proposed in the budget, like new equipment and services etc. Your e-mails to City Council might go over better if you review the budget and outline specifically what items you think is unnecessary. Random vents in ALL CAPS or calls to lower salaries or lay people off don't get taken seriously.
Grace 3/18/2013 4:08:12 PM ReportWell said!
crashed13 3/18/2013 4:14:06 PM ReportI personally know a few city workers who brag how they do nothing most of the day.
HONEST1 3/18/2013 4:32:23 PM ReportHow about wage freeze for city employees and leave our property taxes alone. The federal and provincial government agrred to a wage freeze why can't city worker do so!!Will not stand for another tax hike. There will be protest this time. We will not be taken advantage anymore!!!!!!
geterdun 3/18/2013 4:59:23 PM Reportsuck it up people...you will get an increase thats life.....if you are that worried about paying tax on a house then move to an apartment.......as for all you people making snide comments about city workers.like three standing around while one does the work.are you sure your not talking about the steel plant?? I could just imagine the whinning from you ignorant people if and when you call the city to complain and nothing gets done!!!!!!! well you better get use to it....heaven forbid!!!!! you all need to get a life and or a job and pay your taxes ......or MOVE!!!!!!!
daddy frank 3/18/2013 5:08:21 PM ReportCALL YOUR ALDERMAN! CALL YOUR ALDERMAN!
(1)WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WITH NO ENGINEER AS A MANAGER, JUST ANOTHER ONE OF JOE'S GROONIES, ALL THEY DO IS HIRE CONSULTANTS
(2)THE ROADS AND SNOW REMOVAL THIS YEAR IS A JOKE,STOP HIRING WHEN PEOPLE RETIRE AND CONTRACT THE WORK OUT
(3)YOU DO NOT TRIM FROM THE BOTTOM,YOU TRIM AT THE TOP
(4) ALDERMAN SHOULD STOP TAKING THEIR PAY FOR A YEAR IF WE ARE THAT SHORT OF MONEY
(5) CALL YOUR ALDERMAN! AND REMEMBER THEM AT THE NEXT ELECTION
(6) WE ALWAYS SEEM TO FIND MILLONS OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO GIVE TO ANYONE THAT ASKS IE; SAULT COLLEGE ,ALGOMA UNIVERSITY, SEARCHMONT SKI HILL, SAH WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS PRIVIATELY OWNED (THE BUILDING)
CITY HALLS GREW SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR
FRAUD AND FINACIAL MISMANAGEMENT
DADDY FRANK
geterdun 3/18/2013 5:09:21 PM Reportmaybe those so called workers should all take the day off tommorrow during the storm...... see how you ignorant cry babies like that!!!!!!!! NO NO NO.you will be calling and complaining why isnt (MY) street plowed and sanded.BLAH BLAH BLAH.you all need to grow up or MOVE...... we dont need useless complainers in our city we need hard working tax paying citizens unlike many of you.......
guestwho 3/18/2013 5:20:22 PM Reportcutting services would be the way to go ,cause 1/2 of nothing is still nothing. 3.56/$146,000 ,so does that mean 1.78/$73,000??
soothunderbird 3/18/2013 6:15:02 PM ReportHet geterdun r u braindead. Dont compare private profit making businesses like the steel plant. We rely on customer sales....not tax payers money...
Sam C 3/18/2013 6:20:35 PM ReportSo, what services shall we cut in order to achieve a ZERO tax increase?
Has anyone looked through the proposed budget, or are you just getting your knickers in a twist over the numbers in the article? Some of the proposed expenditures are actually intended to save money, in the long run.
No one likes tax increases, but some of the same cost increases we bear as individuals affect the City, too.
I think 3.56% is reasonable.
Grace 3/18/2013 6:34:45 PM ReportSam, Most likely they have but all they can see is what amounts to gibberish.
This is a complex document. I've been watching ch 10 and at points I'm totally lost.
I'm sure I am not alone in this feeling of "way over my head"
I can bet that councilors have that feeling right about now!
Grace 3/18/2013 7:05:59 PM ReportJoe just kicked out someone from the galley!
Bob Davies escorted him out!
Just wondering why Joe made the call for security and not the Mayor? I would think that the mayor as the chair of the meeting should have made the call.
KMF61MCF 3/18/2013 8:22:05 PM ReportLOL Grace yup Fratesi seems to run the show. He interrupts the Mayor does most of the speaking . I have no clue why we need a Mayor if he is going to Run his big mouth. He is Rude, Arrogant, and Disrespectful. They sit up on there on there all high and mighty chairs rolling there eyes, snickering and insulting a Councillor when he spoke.Yes a Native gentleman came in sat down and said "POLICE" Fatesi said your not welcome here! both him and the Mayor said your not supposed to be here. The gentleman asked why. Fatesi said get security here! The Mayor said you are on a trespass list.The Chief of Police escorted him out the Chief of the Fire Department followed.... ANY how did any one know that City Hall is not allowed to negotiate a 0% pay increase to Police, Fire etc because its the Province that will not allow them to negotiate a 0% pay increase hmmm
publicserviceworker 3/18/2013 8:54:55 PM ReportJust wondering if anyone got a 3%plus raise on their pay checks this year???? If not, thank our city officials for putting us behind for the year.....
Justin_time 3/18/2013 10:08:55 PM ReportWhat I'd like to know is why there is an increase at all. The city budget has not really increased over the last few years, even with the inexcusable pay increases for the city mafia club.
My property value that MPAC shows has increased and so has the whole city, plus the commercial, institutional and industrial values. As well the city has received another 20 million plus in new work completed in the city. All these values are divided into the budget to get our mil rate. How the hell can our mil rate go up so much with so many more dollars going into the average budget? If anything our mil rate should go down and with the new assessment rates should give an equal tax amount as last year...or less.
I think we as a City should show our dissatisfaction and complain to the Mayor, your Councillors and even our MP and MPP. We have to show how we are being taken advantage of with the average person unknowing how the system works. Sure it's easy for them to set a budget, set a new increase percentage...then when we complain they lower it by a point or so to keep us happy. The truth of the matter is we shouldn't have any increase with the new dollars they just got. Our home equity is working against us when this happens.
I hope we can all send our voice to our irresponsible town clowns.
SPEAK UP!!!!!!!!!
I'm In 3/18/2013 10:25:15 PM Report@ Sam C: So you think 3.56% is reasonable. I ask you should this happen yearly to keep the status quo @ City Hall, because its been happening ever since Joe appointed himself the CAO of this city. When everyone else is ask to tighten their belts by their employer shouldn't city staff take this into consideration when debating the budget. I will e-mail my ward councillors and attend the ratepayers meeting April 3rd to voice my concerns.
@ geterdun you must be from the bush so go back there until you can post intelligent comments.
Blind Druid 3/18/2013 11:06:39 PM ReportTo Paddlenut and all in general. People need to know their rights when the MPAC apparatchiks come a-knocking. The only person that can demand entry to your building(s) is a police officer with a warrant. The MPAC kid that I politely but firmly denied entry to had probably never been rebuffed before, and was convinced that his laminated photo I.D. gave him that right. I corrected him, and made him settle for taking pics of the outside of the house and property, and I agreed to answer any questions. After a while he got around to the key question "does the interior of your house look the same as when it was built in the 60's?" Of course i said "yes". Know your rights.
habsfan 3/19/2013 10:38:21 AM ReportIts pretty easy to drive around town and see the useless waste of taxpayers dollars. The other day i saw our big snowblowers in the snowdump on Peoples rd clearing the dump. Now near the end of winter they were in there for a whole shift and cleared enough for two winters. Just an absolute waste of time. Oh, yes time. Our snowplow crews get paid whether it snows or not. Time to look at that one. Ever watch the crew patch potholes. I could drive the truck, hop out , do the terrible job they do by myself, hop back in and go to the next one passing five or ten along the way. Last week i watched them patch grt northern rd and by the time they left the asphalt they put in the holes was already pulled out by traffic. Do it right or dont do it at all. Everyone on the planet is tightening their belts and it is time for us to do the same. The next time you see city workers not working take a video or pictures and let your alderman see our great workforce in action. Half of our city workers would get fired in the real world.
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
