In 2007, the Fraser Institute calculated the average family in Ontario pays a tax bill of roughly $41,470 per year. Of that, 59 per cent is paid to the federal government, 33 per cent to the provincial government and 8 per cent to the municipal government.

Of that municipal bill, taxpayers in urban Bracebridge pay out 49.5 per cent to the District of Muskoka, 31.1 per cent to the Town of Bracebridge and 19.4 per cent to the public and separate school boards.

The Town of Bracebridge spent $16.5 million dollars in 2007, and is budgeting $20.2 million for spending in 2008.

A large portion of that money is recovered through taxes, with $7.8 million raised in 2007, and $8.5 million budgeted for 2008. That increase accounts for the 6.48 per cent hike in tax rates.

The Town of Gravenhurst approved a 7.17 per cent increase in taxes last week, but residents of the municipality still pay roughly 20 per cent less in taxes than their fellow taxpayers in Bracebridge.

Andy Nelan, Bracebridge treasurer, said those higher taxes are directly related to the amount of service taxpayers in Bracebridge get for their money.

“You have to be sure you’re comparing apples to apples,” said Nelan. “I don’t want to get into finger-pointing, but we provide services which Gravenhurst does not.”

Nelan said he did not want to compare the services available in Bracebridge with those in Gravenhurst. However, a look at recent budgets indicates some of the more costly projects in Bracebridge, such as a new sports complex and baseball diamond complex, are not available in Gravenhurst.

While virtually all town departments in Bracebridge posted an increase in their 2008 budgets, with the culture and recreation department registering the most significant increase and the highest total budget by far.

Last year the department spent $6.4 million and this year it anticipates costs of $8.2 million. Of that, $4.2 million will be spent on capital works projects, with the most costly being $3.8 million for a new baseball complex and $300,000 for a new skateboard park. A large portion of the ball diamond cost was offset by a provincial grant of $2.8 million announced earlier this month.

In total, the town has budgeted $6.5 million for capital works in 2008.

Outside the culture and rec department, the biggest spender is the public works department, which has a budget of $5.5 million.

Nearly $2 million of that budget will be spent on the repair and maintenance of rural and urban roads. Major road projects for 2008 include the reconstruction of sections of Kimberley Avenue, Ontario Street and Nelson Avenue, in addition to a study on the McCutcheon bridge on Lambert Road, and the ongoing process of rural road surface treatment.

Other notable capital projects slated for 2008 include paying for the fire department’s new pumper/tanker ($160,000), performing building upgrades at the library ($76,000) and parks and trails upgrades ($92,520).

The town has also budgeted $300,000 to finish work on the sportsplex, but Nelan said he does not anticipate the full amount being spent.

A large portion of the overall town budget, $4.7 million, is spent paying out salaries and benefits to employees.

The town has 65 permanent full-time employees, and five new full-time positions will be created this year. They include a new human resources assistant, a new training officer for the fire department, an operator for the pool and two new recreation program staff for the sportsplex.