Decisions on proposed 51 per cent tax hike in Wilmot Township deferred

How much will those living in Wilmot Township be paying in property taxes this year?

The proposed nearly 51 per cent property tax increase was discussed at length in a budget meeting on Thursday, but after six-and-a-half hours of deliberation, decisions are being deferred until Jan. 27 at the earliest.

A lack of available, detailed information is creating a wall between councillors and a definitive choice on cuts and deferrals.

Council wanted more information at their previous budget meeting on Dec. 9, but according to Councillor Kris Wilkinson, some of that information was presented too late.

“There’s still a lot of information to process, and there are some things that were even just submitted yesterday, almost 23 hours in advance of the meeting,” he said.

Wilkinson wants councillors to see breakdowns of department-specific spending, and an analysis of the variances in those numbers between last year’s budget and this one.

Acting Chief Administrative Officer Greg Clark noted that Wilkinson’s request could prolong the potential to make any decisions on the operating portion of the budget by as much as three months.

“This is a big task, it’s a big number,” said Wilkinson. “If it takes until March — I mean I hope it doesn’t — but if it does, I know I’m prepared to go down that path.”

The next budget meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27.