Property Tax Increase

It sounds like property taxes in Kingston will be going up by 2.5% next year.

City staff is recommending a 2.5% tax increase for the sixth year in a row.

1.5 percent of the increase is for the city’s operating budget and one percent is for infrastructure projects.

City council will begin its budget deliberations on Monday.

A report for councillors says a tax increase of 2.5 percent translates into an extra $90 a year on a house assessed at $319,000.

 

Fraud – Identity Theft

Fraud has become a major problem in Kingston

Kingston Police say fraud offenses this year have totaled over $1.76 million.

They have investigated 650 fraud cases so far this year.

Car dealership have become the target of people who are using identity theft to fraudulently buy vehicles.

Kingston Police held an information session for car dealers yesterday.

During the session they turned up a red flag on a current application to purchase a high-end vehicle from a local dealership.

 

Contraband – Joyceville

A visitor is facing charges after contraband was seized at Joyceville Institution’s assessment unit.

The correctional service says the seizure took place around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon as the result of the combined efforts of correctional officers, a detector-dog team and security intelligence officers.

The contraband included almost 22 grams of tobacco and about 12 grams of marijuana.

 

Traffic Death – Zakos

People have been shocked by the news of the death of a 70-year-old Kingston man in a car crash in Florida.

He died when his vehicle was hit by a fork lift in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.  The driver of the fork lift left the scene but was arrested after being chased by a witness.

Zakos was well known in Kingston.  He had a career in commercial real estate and helped develop restaurants.

He lived in Kingston and spent his winters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A celebration of life for James Thomas Zakos will be held in Kingston sometime in the future.

 

Kingston Police – Donation

The Annual Kingston Police Charity Golf Tournament has helped raise more than $10,000 for the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.

A cheque for $10,618.57 was presented to the foundation yesterday,

The money is being donated to the Pediatric Cancer Fund at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre.

 

Electronic Waste

If you’ve got electronic waste like old televisions, monitors, desktop computers, phones or other items you can get rid of them at St. Lawrence College on Saturday.

Student volunteers will be collecting electronic waste from 11 am to 3pm at the front entrance to the college.

You are responsible to ensure personal data has been removed from computers, cell phones and other electronics

 

Empire Life – United Way

Empire Life says its United Way campaign has exceeded its goal of raising $270,000.

$273,000 has been raised for United Ways across Canada. The majority of it has been raised for the local campaign in Kingston where Empire’s head office is located.

The United Way KFLA campaign reported at the end of yesterday it has reached the 86% mark.

It still needs to raise about half-a-million dollars to reach its goal of $3,551,000.

The touchdown breakfast for the campaign is being held a week from today.