Some good budget news for the City of Sault Ste. Marie.
Chief Financial Officer Shelley Schell told council at last night’s meeting that the tax levy has been reduced due to a revision to provincial grant funding through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund.
The City had expected to receive a one million dollar reduction in grant funding from last years level but Schell says that has been revised to over 120-thousand dollars above last years level—a net benefit of over 1.1-million dollars.
That means the tax levy or the amount local property owners will need to makeup to balance the 2018 budget is being reduced from 3% to just under 2%.

Meantime city council approved an increase to various user fees which will provide the City with an estimated revenue increase of over 281-thousand dollars——those increases had already been included in the preliminary budget that was presented to council last night.
Among the changes to user fees—a 10-cent increase for all transit fares to $2.85 as of January 1st.