Callander is planning on a tax increase of just under 8 per cent this year—7.6 per cent, to be exact. Inflation, rising insurance costs, and the need to pad the municipal reserve fund were strong motivating factors that influenced council’s decision for the increase.

There are also many capital projects council wants to get working on this year, and the increase will give those a boost. One item is installing an accessible entrance at the library, which has been budgeted at $10,000. A ramp is also planned for Town Hall, with $25,000 set aside for that.

See: Callander’s budget keeps reserves healthy, but levy will rise

Plans are also underway to install a backup generator for the Municipal Building, and that could cost around $45,000. Improvements are also planned for the downtown area, including a budget line for $30,000 to improve crosswalk signage.

There’s $678,510 budgeted for Bill Barber Rink upgrades. Much of this money came from Provincial grants, and council still needs to decide the level of upgrades it plans to make, which will dictate how much money is spent on that facility.

See: Callanderites leaning toward full upgrades to Bill Barber rink

The waterfront project continues, and money has been budgeted for it. Last fall the pavilion was built in Centennial Park, and this year, it’s time to add some furnishings for the new space. The budget set aside $25,000 for that. There are also plans to do some work on the breakwater off the dock on Lansdowne. That project should ring in around $45,000.

Road improvements tend to warm the hearts of most taxpayers, and Callander has quite a few in mind for 2023. A quarter of a million dollars is set aside for resurfacing Birchgrove, and the culverts on Byers Road and Waltonian Drive will be replaced.

Work is planned for Fairway Drive, Osprey Crescent, and both Hart and McDonald roads are slated for resurfacing.

Council also put aside $30,000 for a columbarium at the cemetery, which provides space to hold cremated remains.

In total, just over $2.3 million has been allocated to municipal capital projects in 2023. These numbers might change, as the budget has not been officially adopted by council yet. However, it plans to do so in early March.

David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, BayToday.ca