COURTNEY McCLURE, for The Standard
UXBRIDGE: Residents of Uxbridge can attend council meetings, where the council members discuss their budget, to stay informed. Uxbridge town councillor Todd Snooks stated, at a meeting on June 26th, residents should stay informed about the Uxbridge council budget. According to the treasurer of the Township of Uxbridge, Donna Condon, the township’s website includes a lot of information regarding the council committees’ budget and how it is distributed, all accessible to the public. Press releases about Uxbridge’s budgeting are another way for residents to stay informed. Residents also have the option to speak with the councillor who represents their ward, the Mayor, Dave Barton, or a township staff member. The budget is available, if residents go to the Uxbridge township’s home website and type “Budgets” into the search bar. “Residents should stay informed, as decisions made at budget effect the services the township provides,” said Ms. Condon. Due to Covid-19, Ms. Condon said the Township of Uxbridge has completed two projections, for April 2020 and June 2020. According to these specific projections, the township foresaw a significant drop in the township’s income, and significantly reduced the amount of money the township would be spending. The township will reduce their spending to make up for money that wasn’t made. The 2020 Draft Operating and Capital Budgets were released in December 2019. The subsequent budgets were presented to the Uxbridge town council in December. The budget for 2020 was approved on January 20th, 2020, and council “adopted” the budget later that month. For the year 2020, the township has prepared two budgets so far; the Operating and Capital Budgets. The township’s operating budget will cover the costs of everyday expenses and activities. This covers but is not limited to: parks, playgrounds, sports fields and walking or hiking trails. According to Ms. Condon, the Capital Budget of the township outlines their plan to “take care of what it owns” and plans for the future. They fund the budget through property taxes, fees, reserve funds and development charges and other contributions and grants. They focus the Capital Budget on doing what the township can with existing infrastructure. For example, this could include the reconstruction of damaged roads. The Capital Budget also extends to the improvement of local parks in the area, improving recreation facilities and building upgrades. However, the township has placed a specific emphasis on prioritizing infrastructure projects, according to the Township’s Asset Management Plan.