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Friday, February 1, 2019 3 Brooklin Town Crier Joe Drumm, who recently retired from council, now has a trail named for him. He is the longest serving board member on any conservation authority in Ontario. Chris Darling, CAO of CLOCA presents the mock sign to Joe. Residential Tax Target To Be 1.94% Increase Whitby Town Council will be presented a 1.94 per cent increase as the Town's impact on the total residential tax bill. This represents an increase of approximately $8.36 per month per household. This is based on the 2018 average assessment value of $437,000 as identified by MPAC Property Notice Assessment. The Town's portion of the overall tax bill is approximately 33 per cent. "More than 80 per cent of residents who took part in our 2018 Community Survey feel they are getting good or very good value for their tax dollars - something of which we are very proud," stated Matthew Gaskell, Chief Administrative Officer. "This year, the Town's budget will focus on managing our 2018 investments in strategic initiatives, infrastructure and staffing, while continuing to plan for the future." The Town of Whitby delivers a number of programs and services including fire and emergency services, road and winter maintenance, libraries, recreation programs and parks. The following capital investments are included within the 2019 Budget target: parks ($4.7M), recreation ($2.5M) and active transportation ($4.3M); fire and emergency services ($1.6M); roads and stormwater ($19.9M); facilities ($2.1M); communications and technology ($4.1M); and, library ($1.1M). Specifically, the 2019 Budget target is focused on: continuing to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of program and service delivery; improving the Town's customer service through facility and technology upgrades; launching our corporate planning framework to provide a roadmap for the future. This includes a new Corporate Strategic Plan, Council's Goals and the biennial community survey; advancing the redevelopment of Town Hall into a community hub for all; creating local jobs and economic prosperity through investments like the new Innovation Accelerator; building walkable, cycling-friendly neighbourhoods to reduce local traffic congestion; redeveloping and reimagining parks to ensure they meet the needs of residents now and in the future; accelerating the pedestrian focus of the two historic downtowns; launching a new strategy aimed at making the Town's community engagement more consistent, inclusive and easy; finalizing new sustainable development and urban design guidelines; and, realizing the economic, cultural and social potential of our downtowns, waterfront, green spaces and major attractions. The budget forecast is an estimate of anticipated revenues and expenses required to provide municipal services for a specific fiscal year. It is a financial plan that forecasts investments, activities and events. The 2019 Budget target report is available online at whitby.ca/budget. Key upcoming dates related to the 2019 Budget are: February 4: Proposed Budget released February 11: Budget presented to Committee of the Whole; opportunity for community input February 19: Final approval of the Budget at a Special Council Meeting For comments or questions about the budget, contact the Corporate Services Department at treasury@whitby.ca or by phone at 905.430.4300 x2233. Proposed Budget Released On February 4 The Town's proposed 2019 Budget is scheduled for release on Monday, February 4, 2019. The proposed 2019 Budget will be made available on Monday, February 4, online at whitby.ca/budget and in-person, at no cost, at Town Hall. For more information, email treasury@whitby.ca or call 905.430.4300 x2233 As an important part of the budget process, residents are invited to provide feedback on the proposed budget through the following opportunities: Committee of the Whole Meeting When: Monday, February 11, 2019, 7 p.m. Where: Town Hall, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby Residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the 2019 Budget prior to Council consideration and approval on Tuesday, February 19. Those interested in speaking at this meeting are not required to register prior to the meeting, but are encouraged to notify the Town Clerk of their intention to speak by emailing clerk@whitby.ca. Special Council Meeting When: Tuesday, February 19, 2019, 5:30 p.m. Where: Town Hall, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby Residents interested in speaking at the Special Council Meeting must register with the Town Clerk by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 19. Delegation Forms are available online at whitby.ca/delegation and should be submitted to clerk@whitby.ca. For more information on the meetings, contact the Office of the Town Clerk at 905.430.4315 or the email noted above. The Committee of the Whole and Special Council Meetings can be attended in-person or live streamed or viewed post-meeting through archived video on the Town's website. Paint Nite for Hospice Some of the 118 avid painters who participated in the Paint Nite for Hospice on Jan. 25 at St. Thomas' Church. The event, a fundraiser for the new Whitby Hospice, raised $2500. Trivia Champs Not just pretty faces, this is the winning team from the Trivia Night held at MichaelKelly's on Jan. 27. They earned, however temporarily, the title of Brooklin's Champions of Mostly Useless Knowledge. (from right to left) Warren Francis, Chris Tessier, Sam Tessier, Katherine Kawadri, Maggie Mee, Alexis Hibbard-Francis.