Summer Issue 2019
Greetings everyone.
Summer is fast approaching and I’m sure we're all looking forward to the warmer weather and the joys it can bring. On behalf of Council, I’m very happy to be addressing our Community in the first of our 2019 communique. As part of our commitment to better communication, we will be focusing on continual improvement in this area.
We are pleased to announce we’ve renewed the “Deseronto Minute” with radio station 88.7 MY FM to promote valuable community information. We will also be purchasing a digital communication board to be placed outside Town Hall to help further communicate with you.
Improvements to our online presence and communication have been an immediate focus of this Council and these efforts will continue. Please “like” our official Town Facebook page for updates on meetings and important Town news. In addition, upgrades to our website are forthcoming; so please check in often as we roll out these useful new changes.
Since forming our Council in December, I’ve made it a priority to meet with many service partners such as the OPP, Community Housing, Government Representatives and various Hastings County resources to discuss our community’s needs and Councils’ direction. Working with staff, Council has been busy finalising the 2019 budget, while working on and reviewing many Municipal policies and procedures to help improve our overall service delivery to you.
Recognizing the need to keep tax increases low, we are excited about the 2019 budget. It addresses many of our immediate needs while preparing the Municipality for future discussions.
Investments into safety & accessibility, increased recreational funding for the Deseronto Library, summer student employment, sidewalk and road repairs, upgrades to Municipal buildings, parks, Main street and waterfront enhancement, communication, and recreation & community programming are all part of this year's budget.
Starting this month, Council will shift its focus to longer term planning and 2020 budget talks. Discussions will deal with future land use, Waterfront investment, a Community needs assessment, attraction of development and business services and our overall Municipal strategic direction. We will advertise these meetings and we look forward to sharing the results of these discussions with you.
In closing, have a safe and happy summer and I look forward to seeing you around town as we all enjoy the nice weather.
Sincerely, Mayor Dan Johnston