- by John A. Tamming

We are in budget talks as a city council for 2022.

Our property taxes average $4,103 for a bungalow; Georgian Bluffs averages $1,759 while Meaford and Chatsworth come in at $2,655 and $3,257, respectively.

What level of taxes can city residents afford? One measure is the wealth of a city. A recent provincial study is of interest.
Owen Sound’s average household income is at $75,000. Of 74 surveyed municipalities across the province, we lie fifth from the bottom. Only Cornwall, Elliott Lake, Parry Sound and Brockville rank below us.

Of all local municipalities, our average household income ranks the lowest. Hanover is at $78,000, Georgian Bluffs stands at $108,00, the nuclear community of Saugeen Shores hauls in $134,000 and the Land Rover crowd over at Blue Mountains comes in at $146,000.

As a percentage of such household income, the property taxes paid by Owen Sounders are at 5%. That is, people pay 5% of their overall household income towards property taxes. This is the third worst of all those 74 surveyed municipalities. Among our immediate neighbours, Georgian Bluffs is at 3%, while Saugeen Shores and Kincardine are just slightly below that.

Options are limited.

You can try to grow your property tax base: We have approved millions in building permits this term.

You can eliminate services: Airport anyone?

You can keep all the services you have and try to run them more efficiently with less staff and resources: We are now engaged in a service level review to have a hard look at just this. Stay tuned.

The draft budget is on line at the city’s website - capital and operating. Ms Allan, our Director of Corporate Services, has gone out of her way to use narrative and graphics to bring otherwise sterile numbers to life. Have a look and, if you so feel inspired, let us councilors know where else you would find efficiencies.

You will find we are all ears.

John A. Tamming is an Owen Sound City Councilor