Lots of math, contracts and the like took up shop at Timmins city council Wednesday.

And in the end, residents finally know what they will see on their tax bills coming out shortly for 2017.

Timmins Mayor Steve Black explains the residential tax rate is set at a 2.14 per cent increase over 2016. But he adds residents must factor in their M-PAC assessments that were mailed out earlier this year.

“So if someone seen a two per cent increase on their assessment, that would be added on to the 2.14 per cent from the tax rate increase,” he said, noting some residents may even see little to no change.

So in terms of dollar figures, the average resident is paying about $125 more.

Much of the praise from these numbers come from contracts negotiated with the three mining companies. The tax agreements with them allowed the city to lower the residential and large industrial rate.

The large industrial rate is actually going down 11 per cent.

Black says he wanted a four-year agreement with the mining companies on that front. He says the agreements were a continuation of the show of support the companies have for the city.

The agreement also benefits the three mining companies, as it provides stability in knowing there won’t be large swings in their taxes.

Black adds it also provides an attractive rate for potential large industrial companies that would want to make Timmins their home base, or companies looking to expand.

“If you look at a company like Tahoe (Resources), who is continuously looking at growing their operations in Timmins as the core of their company, this puts them in a better (place) going forward to look at some of those projects as well.”

An example of something new would be a potential chromite smelter for minerals coming from the Ring of Fire.

Councillor Joe Campbell says the mine agreements lessens the blow to residents this year. He asks Treasurer Jim Howie about the impact following that.

Howie says it gives us four years to come up with a plan of action.

Councillor Rick Dubeau points out that former city CAO Joe Torlone indicated in the past appeals were incoming on assessments in the commercial and industrial class.

He says council didn’t plan for it.

“We approved a 2.5 per cent expenditure increase, knowing that this was coming,” he said, “And now we’re looking at 3.68 per cent tax increase in a world where most people get less than two per cent wage increases and many are on fixed income.”

“This is not reasonable.”

Dubeau makes mention of the two per cent decrease to expenditure budgets during 2017 budget deliberations.

He suggested staff look at what money hasn’t been spent as of yet, and re-evaluate to lower the rate further.

Councillor Pat Bamford says he understands the frustration, but doesn’t remember a time where council has gone back into their expenditure budget in mid-September to re-evaluate.

Bamford says the vast majority of the budget is services the city provides annually, such as snow removal, policing, transit, etc.

“We have small, discretionary amount that we can spend, and usually in capital,” he said.

He says he could easily say cut out the McIntyre Arena, which takes a loss of around $500-thousand dollars a year, but adds he knows people who like curling and hockey—stuff he doesn’t do anymore.

Campbell replied to those comments by detailing Bamford made comments late in the 2017 budget talks by making generalized statements on cutting things in transit and arenas.

“It was a great show,” he said, “Big on generalities, small in detail. There were no details in how we were going to do it…He seems to think the only way that you’re going to save money here is to cut services.”

“Have you ever heard of synergies? Have you ever heard of doing things better, doing things with less?” Campbell retorted, “A lot of cities are doing it, we don’t want to address that.”

He adds there are many areas they can find savings, and should keep looking at them instead of spending money on things they want to build.

“There are ways to cut without hurting anybody,” Campbell continued.

He also took issue with the McIntyre Arena comment—or as Campbell says, his “favourite subject.”

“I’m getting rather tired of Mr. Bamford constantly trashing the McIntyre Arena,” he said, “Go to the (Timmins) Rock games and see how people are enjoying it. Go to the Sportsman Show…a lot things are happening in that building. You keep bringing it up. Well, it doesn’t sit very well with me, I’m sorry.”

Bamford says he wasn’t “trashing” the arena, but pointing out that local arenas have net operating losses.

“That was one of (the ways to look for savings),” he said, “But there are many other ways.”

He adds it’s easy to say make a two per cent cut, but it’s millions of dollars and “it’s hard to find that kind of money.”

Black says this is something they didn’t know was coming for 3-4 years. He says the 3.68 per cent number Dubeau quoted is incorrect, as the assessment is already factored into that number.

He points out the net expenditure increase of 2.41 per cent is the second lowest in the last 15 years.

Black says contrary to some comments, he believes the city did implement some strategies from the KPMG core services review. He says we’re not out of line in comparison to other northern cities.

When it came time to vote for the various aspects, most went 7-2 in favour with Campbell and Dubeau voting against them. Others went 6-3, with Councillor Veronica Farrell joining Dubeau and Campbell.

CLICK HERE for the full discussion and votes.

CLICK HERE to see the presentation to council, including all the numbers and ratios.

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