By Alex Mahar [1]
BELLEVILLE – Hastings County [2]residents will face a more than five per cent increase in their property taxes this year.
County council approved its operating budget for 2020 has increased by 5.18% from 2019, up to $148,278,286, it announced on Tuesday.
With the increased funds, council is ensuring residents will continue to receive critical services by investing more in child care, seniors housing, long-term care and paramedic services and address service gaps and pressures in health care, created through an increase in demand for service, it said in a press release.
The increase results in an additional $25.00 on a typical taxpayer with a residential assessment of $185,500.
With the aging population and call volume pressures, paramedic services is expanded to 24 hours day/7 days a week.
The need for proper resourcing and funding of infrastructure needs resulted in an increase of 60 hours of custodial staff to support seniors housing, as well.