The REAL budget in Wasaga Beach

Here is the cover letter from Thursdays Council meeting, saying they have achieved a tax increase of merely 3.96% for this year.

Second link- here is the entire budget, draft two:

The County of Simcoe split their number up into two portions in media releases but the total “County” increase will be 3.7%.

But the Mayor would prefer you not be told the Municipal portion on its own because if he blends it with the lower County rate increase, it allows him to claim it is just under 4%. Blarney!

For years, the Town of Wasaga Beach has published the Municipal, the County AND THE BLENDED rate. Brian changed this because if you simply look at the accumulative municipal portion of our tax increases from the budgets he and his six have passed this term, the number is actually up over 17.5% since they took office and started their hiring and big raises.

Blended is what we actually pay, so he claims THAT is the only number that matters. I wonder if he would feel the same if the County had an 8% increase? I guarantee he would show all three rates then.

Then there is the costing of OPP… So, the Town gets notice that there is a massive increase from the OPP. Instead of factoring that in and budgeting for the new rates, they pick their own 5% increase and apply it to the rate. No worries, they will simply add a secondary increase later on if they can’t negotiate something more to their liking. After all, a 3.96% increase combined with a 3.04% (just a number for demonstration purposes) increase sounds better than a 7% increase right?

What are we paying for? Honestly, the budget is FILLED with spending that could be cut if restraint were more important than the party atmosphere we are paying for. An important reminder is also worth mentioning. Mayor Smith did vote himself a 40% increase in Municipal Pay. He also voted a 165% pay increase for the County portion of his personal remuneration. Council now has expense accounts (new this term). What we don’t know are the secret amounts the Mayor gets for sitting on the three boards of our electrical utility. We also are in the dark on how much the Board of Wasaga Beach Entertainment Corporation might decide to pay its directors now that the official declaration of no pay was made in the incorporating documents.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Mayor were to summarize all amounts he makes as our Mayor. I probably wouldn’t be nearly as offended if he lived in Wasaga Beach. It would be great if they actually shared the details of our tax increase in three separate numbers;

As an aside, PLEASE, look at some of the details of the budget. If you only have a little time, check out page 26 (office of the CAO) where there is a new budgeted amount for $12,500.00 for publications. Maybe take a look as well at page 40, another CAO page.

Of course, these are only “budget” amounts which lay out what expenditures they can dig into without asking Council for additional funds publicly during 2025.

Finally, look at our reserves. Shame on each elected member that supports this budget with little regard for our future.

However, I do predict a 1% tax increase during the election year. What do you think?