2008 Draft Operating Business Plan and Budget tabled at Regional council

York Region's draft $1.3 billion Operating Business Plan and Budget for 2008 was tabled recently at Regional council and includes numerous growth and service enhancements, including for York Regional Police, Transit, Water/Wastewater and Solid Waste management.

"Our draft 2008 Operating Business Plan and Budget, combined with our 2008 Capital Budget, ensures York Region residents and businesses will continue to receive high quality services for their tax dollars," said Regional Chairman Bill Fisch. "We will examine the operating budget over the next two months for additional savings, including the allocation of savings from GTA Pooling dollars. And we invite input from the public as we move forward in this process."

"The draft operating budget provides the basis of a fiscally responsible plan that takes into account the Region's budgetary pressures and the growing demand for Regional services," added Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen, chair of the Finance and Administration Committee of Regional council. "I commend Regional staff for their hard work and commitment on the budget."

The draft 2008 budget proposes a six per cent tax levy increase, representing a $109 hike for taxpayers owning a home with an average assessed value of $371,000.

The proposed tax levy increase is a result of additional costs to pay for existing services. York's budgetary pressures include $20.8 million for base budget considerations like salaries, benefits and contracted services; $1.4 million for mandatory or legislated costs; $9.2 million for growth-related costs, such as adding more police, expansion to the transit system, more public health staff and paramedics, etc.; $7 million for annualizations (full-year program costs from 2007); and $19.4 million for program enhancements.

The business plan and budget has been forwarded to various standing committees of council, and a workshop will be held Feb. 28 to gather input from the public and examine options for allocating the $13.3 million in GTA pooling savings for 2008. It will be in the seminar room of the York Region Administrative Centre in Newmarket, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Options for this year's pooling savings of $13.3 million include reducing the tax increase by up to two per cent, spending on capital asset replacement, program spending or a combination of all of these. This pooling is money collected by York, Peel and Halton Regions to assist the City of Toronto pay for its social housing and social assistance programs. The province has announced the program will be phased out completely by 2013 with the Region's payments reduced annually.

The plan is to send the both packages to the Finance and Administration Committee, with approval by council set for March 27.

Regional council approved a $682 million capital business plan and budget for 2008 in December.