South Frontenac Passes 2 Per Cent Budget Increase

Craig Bakay | Jan 18, 2017

South Frontenac Council opted for a 2 per cent tax increase for 2017, in passing the 2017 budget at its regular meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham.

The vote was 4-3 with Mayor Ron Vandewal, and Coun. John McDougall, Alan Revill and Ross Sutherland voting in favour (Dep. Mayor Norm Roberts was absent because of two deaths in the family).

Treasurer Louise Fragnito presented Council with four options. The one they chose accommodated the Mayor’s request that any increase be limited to 2 per cent. This option also did away with the $120 solid waste charge, which was rolled into the levy.

CAO/Clerk Wayne Orr said that residents will continue to receive 50 bag tags per residence. However, owners of property without buildings on them will not receive bag tags for those properties.

“Anyone who received bag tags before will continue to receive them,” he said.

Fragnito said in order to get to 2 per cent (the previously voted down budget featured a 2.2 per cent increase) an adjustment of $37,822 would be required and this was achieved by reducing the Working Funds transfer to $9,220 from $47,042.

The 2 per cent increase represents an increase of $29.37 for the average taxpayer, she said.

Vandewal was pleased with the result, despite several councilors and one delegation urging retention of the solid waste tax line.

“I wanted to keep the increase to 2 per cent,” Vandewal said. “I don’t think this change to garbage fees will affect anybody’s recycling habits.”

Coun. Pat Barr and Ron Sleeth, who both voted against the budget, said they wanted to take a longer look at the solid waste fee in light of expected new provincial legislation.

“$120 might not be the right number,” said Sleeth.

Brad Barbeau named to vacant Council seat
South Frontenac Council named Harrowsmith’s Brad Barbeau, who came in third in the last election in Portland District, to take the Council seat left vacant when Bill Robinson died late last year.

In nominating Barbeau, Coun. John McDougall noted that Barbeau still received a sizable number of votes, 793 (Robinson got 872) and is well known in the community, including being the organist at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sydenham.

Barbeau is currently assistant director of IT operations at the Queen’s University School of Business.

In response to a question from the gallery citing a rumour floating around Harrowsmith that Barbeau had already been offered the position, CAO/Clerk Wayne Orr said that Barbeau had only been asked if he would be available should Council opt for that option.

“Coun. McDougall was told specifically not to talk to him (Barbeau) about it,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal.

A municipal council has several options when replacing a council member including naming the candidate with the next most votes, naming a former politician or prominent community member, soliciting nominations from the public or holding a bi-election.

When Mark Tinlin resigned during the previous Council, Pat Barr, who came in third in the previous election, was asked to take the seat.

Paperless Election
Council voted to go completely paperless for the 2018 election, opting for telephone and/or internet voting only.

Council immediately started making suggestions as to how things should go, such as traveling remote voting stations and such.

However, CAO/Clerk Wayne Orr had to remind them that while Council decides what kind of voting procedures will take place, under the Elections Act, the Clerk is the one who must decide the actual operations of the vote.

“This is to distance the politics from it, but I will take your suggestions under advisement,” Orr said, with the slightest of grins.

Pricey Salt
As the meeting was coming to a close, Mayor Ron Vandewal lamented the fact that there was still more freezing rain in the forecast.

“We’ve already spent $100,000 on salt so far this year,” he said.