June 2008
Message from Ginny Burgess, Councilor, Sinclair Ward, Township of Lake of Bays: Hi Everyone: I am sorry I am unable to be present at the Oxbow Cottagers Annual Meeting, and I thank Lynda for reading this report in my absence. Now in my second year as your Local Representative, I am privileged to continue to work on your behalf at Council. It has been a very busy year in the Township, and I have been grateful to the members of the Sinclair Advisory Committee for their input and continued support. Together we have identified and discussed issues of interest and concern to residents of Sinclair/Finlayson, as well as the Township at large, and in turn I have been able to bring these items to the attention of Council. Bruce Cameron, and Ed McRobbie represent your Association and I would like to thank them both for their active and dedicated participation. In this report I will touch on some of the issues that most directly affect our area. Roads are part of our core infrastructure and are always a high priority. I am happy to report that this year 43.1% of the township road budget will be spent in Sinclair/Finlayson, with long-overdue improvements to many of our roads. Additionally, the District of Muskoka is continuing with improvements to the Limberlost Road, this year concentrating on the area from the Hutcheson Road to Interlaken. Of primary concern to our residents are taxes. I firmly believe in holding the line on taxes, and to that end have advocated keeping the tax increase to a minimum, without sacrificing essential services. A lot of time was spent at council grappling with the budget, and as a result we were able to keep the increase down to 3.26 % for 2008. Please remember that the local Township portion of your taxes represents only 19% of your total tax bill –the rest goes to Education (36%), and to the District of Muskoka (45%). High speed internet will soon be a reality for many residents in Sinclair/Finlayson. Much of the credit for this goes to Jan Sirek, another member of the Sinclair Advisory Committee and President of the Tasso, Camp, Toad and Blue Lake Cottagers Association, who spear-headed the initiative in our area. I was happy to support Jan at Council, and on May 6th Council approved the construction of three 96 ft. towers to be located at Hillside, Interlaken and Tasso Lake. A fourth 200 ft. tower proposed for the Sinclair Transfer Station site, will require a public meeting. Over the past year Council and Township staff have made a big effort to improve customer service at the Township, particularly in regard to planning and building matters. Two well-attended public meetings, as well as two half-day facilitated workshops were held to hear from residents, professionals and tradesmen in the area. Candid discussion and helpful suggestions were brought forth from all sessions, and are being used to make improvements and shape policy going forward. This year Council will be developing a Strategic Plan to focus on meeting the present needs of our residents as well as addressing the needs for future growth. It will establish our Municipality’s priorities and act as a guide for action, ultimately shaping the spending on infrastructure and activities over the next five years. As always, preserving our lakes and protecting our environment will be of paramount importance in all that we do. Public meetings will be held and your input will be welcomed. Communication is very important, and I hope you will feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or require any township information. I hope you have a happy, safe and healthy summer! Ginny Burgess
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