The Budget includes a combined tax increase — municipal, county and school board levies — of 2.46 per cent. For the average assessed home of $235,000 in Owen Sound, this will translate to an extra $103 on annual tax bills. Property owners of a home assessed at $460,000 will pay an additional $206 per year.  Examples of Growth

Budget discussions revealed that the Transit Budget required an additional $499,000 to maintain the current service level. That's an increase of 49 per cent over 2021 transit budget. Increase costs for contracts, fuel and winter maintenance, as well decreased revenue from falling ridership and gas tax are among the reasons for the hefty projected increase to the budget for public transit. It's noteworthy that the community survey showed that a very small segment of the population (8%) uses transit on a regular basis.

Over and above operating expenses is the city's  planned capital purchases of $15.1 million for 2022. It includes the start of the second phase of the Downtown River Precinct Project and upgrades at Greenwood Cemetery, the Tom Thomson Art Gallery and Harrison Park. What stands out in the 2022 capital plan are the $630 thousand in Art Gallery upgrades. This is over and above the Art Gallery's annual operating budget.