The warden of Inverness Co. says staff members are preparing their budget recommendations.
Laurie Cranton says they’ve worked hard to try to finish the 2020-21 fiscal year in a surplus position.
Cranton tells The Hawk the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the municipality’s finances has been mixed, so it’s not yet clear exactly what the fallout will be.
“(There’s) been some extra costs, but there’s been some savings as well,” he says. “It will have an impact.”
Cranton says councillors are trying to avoid a tax increase.
He says they won’t know if that’s possible until budget planning is finished.
“If we finish with a little bit of a surplus, hopefully we don’t have to go there,” he says. “I’m hoping not, and nobody has suggested that to me from staff or council yet.”
Cranton says they won’t know for sure until the budget is drawn up.
