Friday, December 17, 2010 An 98-year-old advises the young uns to enjoy every day that comes.
Page A8
ary Annivers 1985-2010
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Mounties and seniors rejoice Supt. Dave Walsh, top cop at the local RCMP, led fellow officers in song at the Maple Ridge Seniors Centre on 119th Avenue earlier this week. See story page A16.
Maria Rantanen/TIMES
Finance
Ridge passes ‘conservative’ budget
Mayor says council decided to “hold the line” this year, resulting in a 5.61-per-cent tax increase. by Maria Rantanen mrantanen@mrtimes.com
Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin was wheeling around town in a wheelchair this week – a resident wanted to take him around to show him the need for sidewalk improvements. It was an “interesting experience” and he could see where a few improvements could be made, but he quickly added, the District of Maple Ridge doesn’t have money to rip up all the sidewalks and replace them. Maple Ridge council passed a “conservative” budget at Tuesday evening’s council meeting, Daykin said, adding “basically, it was hold the line.”
“Within our envelope, we were able to maintain what we were doing,” Daykin said. “What we haven’t done is add a whole bunch of stuff.” The only added item, in addition to inflationary costs and money for an infrastructure reserve fund, was $125,000 for the second phase of planning for the Albion Flats. While Maple Ridge doesn’t have any sinkholes at this time, “there’s so many
pressures and priorities,” Daykin said. The 2011 budget will ensure that everything that needs to get done, will get done, Daykin said. “Folks are used to a certain level (of service).” Maple Ridge council approved a 5.61per-cent tax increase for property owners, citing a need to limit the growth of programs and make sure infrastructure is protected for future generations. The increase will translate to an average
Pitt Meadows
Budget finalization set for new year The 2011 budget for the City of Pitt Meadows is in the final stages of discussion and is expected to be passed early next year. A budget finalization meeting was held by the City of Pitt Meadows on Thursday night, which director of corporate ser-
vices Dean Rear described as a “key discussion time” for councillors to bring forward any issues about the budget. A budget bylaw is expected to be passed at the end of January, or early February 2011.
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increase of $124 per household bringing the tax bill to $2,337 – that’s based on an average assessed home value of $383,000. Of the average increase of $124, the District’s operational increase is 1.9 per cent or about $41, whereas water, sewer and recycling fees account for a $50 average increase, $19 will go for a fire service improvement levy, and $14 will be put into infrastructure funding accounts. In a recent report, the Frontier Centre, a conservative think tank, examined local government spending and performance indicators, for example, firefighting budgets, infrastructure construction, transit, and recreational activities. In the Local Government Performance Index, Maple Ridge, along with Port Coquitlam and Kelowna, was cited among the most efficient communities in the country and also among the easiest from which to obtain clear and accurate budget information.
– with files from PostMedia Network Inc.
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