On March 23, 2011, Lennox and Addington County Council approved a 2011 budget totalling $60.7 million to provide a broad range of services, which are described in more detail in the attached 2011 Budget Summary & Highlights.

$20.2 million of the total budget is raised through property taxation. The County’s 2011 property tax levy will increase by 2.2% or $422,000 from 2010, after allowing for assessment increases due to new growth.

The average residential property assessment in the County of Lennox and Addington in 2011 is $190,000 (2010 - $179,000).  The County portion of the property taxes on this assessment in 2011 is $985 (an increase of $25 from 2010). 

Due to an overall assessment value increase of 5.7%, County tax rates will decrease by 3.3% in 2011.

Some of the highlights of the 2011 budget include:

• $7.3 million for capital improvements to Roads and Bridges, including $4.1 million for paving projects on several arterial routes.
• $4.6 million for the construction of a new Social Services office building at 95 Advance Avenue in Napanee, consolidating the four social service offices within Napanee at one location. 
• $157,000 for the County’s 2011 share of the $170 million Eastern Ontario Regional Network broadband project which will improve high speed internet access over the next three years.
• $175, 000 for the County’s multi-year capital commitment to Community Health Care projects at the Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook, the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital and the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.
• Capital allocations for the installation of solar panels at three social housing facilities, the purchase of two ambulances and an emergency response vehicle for Ambulance Services and the future retrofit and expansion of the County Museum and Archives.

“County Council is committed to efficient delivery of services to our citizens and improving the County’s infrastructure, while minimizing property tax increases,” stated Warden Henry Hogg.  “I think we have a good balance in the 2011 budget,” he added.

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For more information please contact:

Henry Hogg
Warden
613.354.4883

Larry Keech
Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk
613.354.0062