Huron County Councillors approved the County budget at today's (Wednesday) committee of the whole meeting.
Treasurer Mike Blumhagen explained the final figure was a two per cent increase in the county levy and added that about 700-thousand dollars was taken out of reserves to hold the increase to two per cent.
Blumhagen points out while the county is not hit with a new OPP billing formula as lower-tier municipalities are, the county is being hit with a reduction in Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding payments and that shortfall amounted to about two per cent of the budget, or about 700-thousand dollars.
He says no services were cut to this year's budget but adds council is going to have to review the services it delivers to maintain sustainability going forward.
Blumhagen adds this won't be the last year of cuts to the OMPF funding and expects to find out this fall what the impact of those reductions will be for 2016. The budget will now come back to Huron County councils regular council meeting next month for final approval.
