Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

Enniskillen taxpayers will have to shell out three per cent more for municipal taxes this year.

Enniskillen Township’s budget passed without a hitch on April 3. A balanced budget of $4,398,600 was presented at the March 20 council meeting and this remained relatively unchanged.

Township Clerk/Treasurer Duncan McTavish made some changes to the budget including increasing the amount budgeted for the township’s legal fees from $500 to $5,000 and $500 for installing 911 property signs instead of $50. The projected interest revenue was increased to offset these increases and balance the budget.

Major projects which will be under taken this year include the work on Rokeby Line at the Bear Creek Bridge at a projected cost of $500,000. This will include moving a section of the road north by the width of one lane while also seeing the construction of swales on both the north and the south side of the road to redirect water into Bear Creek.

There is $450,000 set aside in the 2023 budget to dig up some soft spots and do some asphalt work on Shiloh Line between Tile Yard Road and Marthaville Road. Road reconstruction was completed in 2022 on this portion of road at a cost of $97,600

Road Superintendent Mike Cummings was at the meeting to answer any questions before the budget was passed. Councillor Mary Lynne McCallum asked him why there wasn’t a five year plan regarding roadwork for the township. Cummings said the practice fell by the wayside during the pandemic. McCallum brought up the issue of not having a five-year plan for roads during the March 20 meeting.

Work on the Krall Park washrooms is planned for 2023 at an estimated cost of $330,000. Grants from the federal and provincial governments amount to $222,800. The remaining $97,200 will be funding by the township with $35,000 coming from the park reserve.