« It’s been a challenge for sure, » said Valérie Parisien, finance director for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR), during a phone interview following the December 14 special session of UCPR council.

Parisien presented the eight mayors on council with what should be the final draft of the 2023 UCPR budget for operations and capital works. The total budget is $179,058,200. That includes the municipal levy of $53,575,700, which is the property tax portion of the UCPR’s revenues.

The final budget, if there are no changes when it comes back to UCPR council in January for final approval and adoption, includes a 3.53-per-cent tax increase for the municipal levy. For the average homeowner in the Prescott-Russell region with a house and land valued at $277,000, that tax increase means $42 for the UCPR portion of the property tax bill. Municipal, school district, and provincial property taxes make up the rest of the total property tax bill.

Parisien noted that the biggest challenge for UCPR staff in working out the 2023 budget was allowing for the chance of inflation affecting the cost of some contracted services and supplies for UCPR operations.