HIGHLIGHTS
- Maintained Township taxes with an average increase of less than of 1% per year
- Secured over $4.5 M in special Federal/Provincial capital funding
- New Library in MacTier constructed
- Renovations to Community Centres in MacTier and Port Severn near completion
- New Community Services building for Port Severn constructed
- New waterfront park and streetscape in Port Severn completed
- New walking and bicycling trail in Port Severn near completion
- Surfacing of Township roads significantly improved
- Reformed Council and general administrative procedures
- Re-established Standing Committees of Council
- Refined budget procedures
- Master Site Plan for Port Seven developed & underway for MacTier and Honey Harbour
- Official Plan Review for the Township commenced
“Keep the Wheels Rolling”
Re-elect Jim Walden
as Mayor of Georgian Bay Township
THE DETAILED REPORT
During this term, over $4.5 million in one-time Federal and Provincial grants has been secured. Port Severn is being rebuilt and now has a new park, a new community services building and exciting new streetscapes. A new library has been constructed in MacTier. Our community centres in Port Severn and MacTier are being renovated for approximately $1.3 million, and new walking and cycling trails have been planned and are being constructed in the Township. Despite all of this development, our cash reserves remain healthy and the municipal portion of infrastructure upgrading has been managed without incurring additional debt during the life of this Council. Furthermore, the Township portion of your property taxes averaged less than a 1% annual rate increase since I took office, probably the lowest in the District of Muskoka.
As we end this term of Council a new human resource plan has been developed and is ready for consideration by the new Council. Studies on the future development of the Honey Harbour and MacTier areas are being completed, an Official Plan review is underway, and a Strategic Plan is about to be developed and proposed to the new Council which will give us a longer term vision of how and when the Township should advance.
This Council established a business agenda, and it has been pro-actively implemented – but, there is more to be accomplished than could rightfully be expected in one four-year term. The future is bright and residential and retail developers are enthusiastically discovering this area. At this time, three residential developments are in construction or in the advance planning comprising over 1000 units. Three retail developments are also at the advance planning stage comprising over 15 new retail outlets. With your support Council can continue to work to make up for the years of our Township being regarded as the forgotten side of Muskoka.
These significant accomplishments have been achieved by Council under my leadership.
If you would like to see how some of these developments have unfolded over the past year, you can consult my monthly updates published in The Gazette (the April report in particular), available in “The Mayor’s Report – Archives” page of this blog.
