New prices for user fees are officially coming into effect in Timmins. They apply to a variety of things like animal control fees, building fees, and bus fares. However Councillor Joe Campbell says the majority of the fees won’t apply to the majority of the population. He also points out that hydro, maintenance, and manpower costs are all going up for the city. He says the user fee hike won’t come close to covering what it costs to operate those facilities.
Mayor Steve Black echoed those comments, saying their option is to either shift more of the burden to the general tax base, or increase user fees to make sure the city is getting adequate dollars from those who use the services. Black says the by-law is a fair way of making that happen, and Timmins is still seeing lower fees than other cities in the north.
A full list of all of the new fees are on the city’s website.
