Mono council will begin the process of preparing its 2010 budget next Tuesday, Nov. 3, with a public meeting at the Mono Centre Community Centre. The preparations will continue at the regular council meeting Nov. 10 and the aim is to have the budget finalized by Nov. 24.

While it is official town policy to have annual tax increases held to the current inflation rate, the council has managed to avoid increases over the past three years. Mayor Lorie Haddock says the same target has been set for 2010.

"I don't think it will be much of a strain to keep it at zero," said Mayor Haddock in an interview. "It may require deferring some projects but, because of the times we're in, we should keep it down."

At the moment, the draft budget calls for total general expenditures of slightly over $10.7 million, about $2.2 million more than would be spent without a tax increase.

The area where there is a large disparity between the projected 2009 yearend spending and the 2010 draft budget is in capital construction projects. The difference is around $1.7 million and it's expected that's where the project deferrals and cost-cutting will occur.

Meanwhile, Mono ratepayers may be pleased to find that the projected year-end spending for 2009 is $8.9 million — almost $300,000 less than was listed in the final 2009 budget.