Talk of the Town by Mayor Allan Thompson — Overall tax increase is the lowest in seven years

March 12, 2015 · 0 Comments

After a long winter, we welcome the first signs of spring.
Much was accomplished during those cold months. Staff laid the groundwork for the year ahead in developing and presenting the 2015 Budget. Council debated intently on your behalf; it was an important exercise in democracy and the budget was passed March 3. The overall property tax increase is the lowest in seven years at two per cent, yet provides value for your tax dollar. We are responding to the growing needs of our community by investing in capital projects such as the Mayfield West Community Centre and Library, by making improvements to our local road network and needed bridge repairs. This budget also reflects the commitment I made during the campaign to work toward making Caledon an intelligent community.
We will be introducing public Wi-Fi in our Town Hall and the Caledon Community Complex, and we are aggressively working on a plan to bring high-speed internet to all of Caledon in this term of council.
I want to thank our residents who shared their comments on the budget and I want to thank Town staff who sharpened their pencils and found $1.5 million in efficiencies. For more information on the budget, visit www.caledon.ca/budget
April 1, 2015 will mark 100 days before the Pan Am Games and Caledon is ready! We have all of our volunteers in place, a significant amount of tickets sold and our venue is on time and under budget. The Games and its legacy will help to showcase the best of Caledon to places around the world. Watch for more information to come on the torch relay and other community events leading up to the games. Let’s get excited!
I’m pleased to host my first Mayor’s Business Breakfast April 8 at the Royal Ambassador. This event will feature an interactive business forum and is a great opportunity for business people and entrepreneurs to network and share thoughts and ideas on how we can better work together to strengthen our local economy. To register go to www.caledon.ca/mayorsbreakfast
And finally, back to spring, a reminder to be aware of the dangers of the melting snow and ice in raising the water levels in rivers and streams, and the impacts of a harsh winter on our roads. Be safe.