Budget passes ... residents have to dig deeper in their pockets

North Bay residents will have to dig even deeper in their pockets this year as City Council passed its 2009 $105 million municipal budget Monday night.

This budget translates to a 2.92 per cent tax increase for tax payers and in simpler terms the increase represents about a $150 increase for a single family bungalow home that is valued up to $170 thousand.

During the budget process council whittled the proposed 6.26 percent increase to the final 2.92 percent. And despite a plea from the North Bay and Area Chamber of Commerce last week to hold off on the increase in taxes to complete infrastructure projects during this troubling economic time, council opted to pass the budget. Budget Chief Peter Chirico the city must continue to upgrade and grow and not allow the city to fall back into the previous mess it was in.

Chirico also said that if the province makes changes that will top up the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund that council will revisit the budget and ensure that the appropriate changes are made.