Frontenac County Council - Jan. 27

Feb 02, 2012

Councilors get snippy in short budget meeting

Displaying an uncanny knack for scheduling meetings during freezing rain events, members of Frontenac County Council found their opportunities to debate their 2012 budget limited to about 45 minutes last month.

With their regularly scheduled meeting cancelled over a threat of freezing rain on January 18, and a replacement meeting on January 27 delayed due to freezing rain, only some preliminary questions were brought up about the draft 2012 budget.

The county is planning to spend a shade over $42 million this year, and Frontenac County ratepayers will pay just over $8.5 million towards that if the draft budget is not altered, an increase of $112,000 or 1.34%.

County taxes represent about 20% of the municipal tax bill, so the increase will not have a significant impact on the amount of taxes ratepayers in the county will be saddled with this year.

But in opening remarks before addressing specific items in the budget, members of council indicated they might be looking to decrease county taxation in order to offset some of the increases that are coming through their own township budgets.

Transfers from the provincial and federal governments will account for $17.5 million of the $42 million in county spending this year, mainly through subsidies for ambulance, Fairmount Home and Howe Island ferry costs

Frontenac Islands mayor Dennis Doyle said that he had reason to believe that this financial support may drop over the next few years. “I have had some meetings in recent weeks with a number of officials from the province. We are facing zero dollars for infrastructure and perhaps a certain amount of fallback on the downloading of costs. The situation in provincial and federal finances is pretty dire, and we might need to consider service cuts in place of tax increases,” Doyle said.

North Frontenac mayor Bud Clayton said that he recently attended an event in Toronto where the premier delivered a speech. “The premier singled out wages as the means to find the $16 billion provincial deficit he plans to cut. We should be prepared, at our level, for a lot of recession-type things,” said Clayton.

However, Central Frontenac mayor and current county warden, Janet Gutowski, pointed out that county council has already made moves that will make cutting the 2012 budget difficult. “We've already voted in a 2.9% wage increase for non-unionized staff. From what I gather you are looking for a budget decrease, I am wondering how we do it once we have already agreed to a 2.9% wage increase,” Gutowski said.

Turning to some of the specific items in the budget, no actual cuts were made but a number were flagged for further information from the finance department.

These included $60,000 for the operations of four council committees (Green Energy Task Force, Sustainability, K&P Trails and 150th Anniversary) the money covers mileage paid for committee members’ travel to meetings and events, and the cost of conferences that members attend from time to time.

County chief administrator Liz Savill said although money can be set aside for conferences in the budget, all requests to attend conferences come directly to county council for approval.

County councilor John Inglis from North Frontenac, who is himself a member of the Green Energy Task Force, said, “I think the committees will be able to manage on $40,000.”

Another item that was flagged for further discussion was the cost associated with making the Communications position, currently a contract position, into a full time position on the county payroll.

As well, the $3,700 per unit cost for new colors and increased reflective properties for Frontenac County ambulances came under scrutiny.

County council will return to the budget debate at their regular monthly meeting on February 15, and a special meeting may be called for late February if necessary.

Ompah ambulance base / fire station project finally moving

It's hurry up time after another long wait.

At a meeting of Frontenac County Council on January 27, a bylaw was approved authorizing the county to set out two requests for proposal, one for a project manager and one for a engineering company to prepare design plans and building costs for a building to be located on a lot in Ompah.

The building will house a 1,500 square foot ambulance base and a 2750 square foot fire hall.

In debating the bylaw the two North Frontenac representatives on the council, North Frontenac mayor Bud Clayton and township councilor John Inglis, brought concerns that had been expressed by North Frontenac Council at one of their own meetings.

“Our council was concerned that by passing this bylaw today, North Frontenac would be left with no option but to proceed even if the project’s costs exceed the amount we have earmarked for the project,” said John Inglis. “But from talking to county staff since then and looking at the agreement, I see that this is not the case.”

Nonetheless, Bud Clayton did propose an amendment to the bylaw, but county staff said this would lead to a further delay in proceeding with the project.

South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison expressed considerable frustration with the amendment.

“I thought we had this all put to bed. If this isn't clear then I think we should stop this right now and only bring it back when both sides really have an agreement.”

Clayton then asked for a minute to confer with Inglis and they withdrew their amendment.

Two members of council opposed the bylaw. South Frontenac councilor John McDougall did so on the grounds that an Ompah ambulance base could lead to the closure of the Parham base, which he said is contrary to the interests of his constituents in the Verona area.

Warden Gutowski said that even though the amendment had been withdrawn, it revealed that North Frontenac Council is not in agreement.

With the passage of the bylaw, one major hurdle remains before construction can begin, the matter of “sticker shock”.

When the proposals come in for the design and construction of the ambulance base/fire hall, they will come with a price tag, and it may be the case that the cost to North Frontenac township will exceed the amount of money they have set aside for the project, which will leave their council with a decision to make.