Central Frontenac asking ratepayers for 5.94 per cent more than in 2017

Craig Bakay | Feb 14, 2018

It took three special meetings but Central Frontenac Council and staff have their 2018 budget in order following a meeting Friday morning in Sharbot Lake.

The bottom line is that the Township will be asking its ratepayers for $434,525 more than it did in 2017, an increase of 5.94 per cent. That translates into $34 per each $100,000 of assessment or about $75 more on the average home in Central Frontenac (about $212,000).

Council had instructed staff to be under 2 per cent increase based on figures that include estimated growth, which they did (1.9 per cent increase based on those figures).

Some projects, such as new boards for the Tichborne Rink were put off for a year but other projects, such as Coun. Tom Dewey’s desire for portable microphones ($20,000), funding for the voluntary septic inspection program ($5,000) or the wind-up for the Canada 150 committee ($4,000) were simply moved over to bolster depleted reserve funds.

Other budget lines, such as a donation for the swim program, could be added to by public donations, suggested Mayor Frances Smith, but that may require some communications/advertising.

“If people don’t know there’s a need, they won’t contribute,” she said. “But you can come to the office and tell the clerk ‘this donation is for the swim program (or whatever) and they’ll see that it goes to the right place.”

Council didn’t seem to think Public Works Manager Brad Thake’s (tongue-in-cheek) suggestion of $10 per pothole had much of a chance however.

There was some good news in the budget.

For example, policing costs went down by $10,000 ($1,256,474 vs. $1,267,908) and recent revelations that the solar projects “have never paid for itself” because of some equipment problems could lead to future revenue once those issues are addressed.

Treasurer Michael McGovern reported that having the County look after IT was more expensive than originally proposed (“we were told it would be cheaper, it hasn’t been”) Coun. Phillip Smith suggested “maybe we should look at an outside provider.”

However, McGovern said that despite not being as cheap as promised, the service has been good and he wasn’t recommending a change.