Central Frontenac Council - Jan 25/11

Jeff Green | Jan 27, 2011

Another tough year ahead for Central Frontenac budget

It may not be any easie for Central Frontenac Councl to avoid a tax increase this year than it was last year, when the increase in the amount of money that was levied to ratepayers for township delivered services increased by $532,000, almost 11%, and the overall increase in municipal taxes, including County and Education taxes, was 9%.

This year, as the newly elected Council prepares for a series of budget meetings, they received some preliminary information from Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene that indicates budgeting will be a difficult chore again in 2011.

A Provincial grant to the township that offsets policing and other costs, which is called the Ontario Municipal Partnership fund, is down by $128,000 this year. At the same time the townships insurance premiums are up by $53,240 over last year, and pension and benefit costs, as wll as salary adjustments and he cost of living allowance will all cause increases in the payroll costs the township must cover.

Duchene also reported that the townships reserve funds are down, partly as the result of surprise costs (such as the Echo Lake Road washout) but also because the funds were used last year to keep the overall tax increase under 10%.

“Our current level of reserves is low and staff believes that a start to replenishing reserves,” Duchene wrote.

On he bright side, Duchene told Council that in preliminary talks with the Frontenac County treasurer Marion Vanbruinessen.

“She raised the possibility of 'grants' from the County to the townships, recognizing the uploading that has taken place of county costs the province which creates budget room for the county,” he said

the the posst to the townships of some of the savings the County has realized from the uploading of costs of the Ontario Disability Support Program may be in the cards.

Council received Duchene's report and set budget meetings for February 8 (to discuss the council, corporate services, information technology, and recreation budgets), February 22nd (public works – roads and waste management), March 8 (Fire, Planning and buiding, economic development) and March 22 (Final review).

All of the meetings will take place on Tuesdays and will replace Committee of the Whole meetings. They will start at 3:00.

Notes – in a debate about the proposed procedural bylaw for Council, a question was raised about how a new five minute limit on speeches by members of Council will be enforced. Councillor Jeff Matson said the township could do what they do at the annual good roads conference in Toronto.

“They have a big lighting standard. When it is green you can talk, the the yellow comes as a warning, and when the red light comes on you have to stop talking,” said Matson.

“Great idea. It would be the first stop light in the township,” said Mayor Gutowski.

Emergency response plan – Fire Chief Mark MacDonald presented an updated emergency response plan the he has been working on.

“The new plan incorporates some changes because of new legislation,” said MacDonald.

He also said that his department is “trying to build relationship with Frontenac County to talk about emergency response. We are trying to see if we can network together, and the County is trying to find ways they can help us. They may have access to different funding sources as well.”