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It was terrific to see so many of you during our recent Gravenhurst Santa Claus Parade.
I want to thank everyone who entered a float for the parade and I want to commend the Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce for organizing such a wonderful event for residents and visitors.
We still have some holiday activities planned for the community, including Light up the Wharf on Saturday, Nov. 29. Please see this newsletter and our website to learn more about these happenings.
Our latest newsletter also includes details about the celebration we have planned for the 125th anniversary of the Gravenhurst Opera House next March. We have some awesome entertainment arranged, including Crash Test Dummies. I hope you can join us for one of the shows.
Earlier this month, it was my privilege to attend our community's annual Remembrance Day service at the Gravenhurst branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Please see our newsletter for photos from the day. Once again, I want to thank all our veterans for their service and I want to recognize the legion for organizing the Remembrance Day service.
Another big event this month was the Gravenhurst Community Awards on Nov. 19 at the opera house. Again, congratulations to all award recipients. Our newsletter has more information about the night. I hope you'll check it out.
On Nov. 26, we hosted a public meeting regarding the 2026 draft municipal budget. The budget proposes a tax rate increase of 6.87 per cent.
As I've indicated before, the intent of the budget is to keep our community moving ahead - maintaining essential services, planning for growth, and being mindful of affordability.
The draft operating budget for the town is $31.4-million and continues to fund the core services residents rely on, including road maintenance, fire and emergency services, parks and recreation, library services, bylaw enforcement, planning, governance, and customer service.
The draft capital budget for the town is $13.7-million and focuses on core infrastructure renewal, including road rehabilitation, stormwater improvements, parks and waterfront enhancements, facility maintenance and accessibility upgrades, vehicle and equipment lifecycle replacement, and continued modernization of technology and digital service capacity.
We will consider adopting the budget on Dec. 9. Our meeting starts at 9 a.m. To learn more, see the budget information item in the newsletter or visit EngageGravenhurst.ca.
At our council meeting earlier this month, we endorsed, in principle, the town's new asset management plan.
The plan outlines the financial steps the town should take to ensure municipal assets are maintained and, when required, replaced. You can learn more about the plan by checking out this month's Council Highlights in our newsletter. As you'll see, we are on the right track but there is work to do.
In closing, if you are holiday shopping, please remember to support our local businesses. We are so fortunate to have them and they depend on our patronage.
That's all I have to share for now.
We look forward to updating you again next month.
Until then, please take care.
Heidi Lorenz,
Mayor.
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