| Feb 16, 2012


by Jeff Green and Julie Druker

CF Council finalizes budget

Local budget up 4.25%, but education and county rates will lower increase to rate of inflation

As Central Frontenac Council met on Tuesday night to finalize their 2012 budget, they received some good news.

When the final accounting was done for 2011, it turns out that $300,000 that was collected from ratepayers had not been spent.

Council decided to put $100,000 of the money towards a fund for a new fire hall in Parham, which is something they had already been planning to do. By transferring the money from the 2011 surplus, however, they do not have to raise those funds from ratepayers in 2012, cutting $100,000 from 2012 taxation. Of the other $200,000, $75,000 will go to cost overruns in the winter maintenance budget stemming from an increase in salt/sand costs this winter. The remaining $125,000 will be put into the township's general reserve funds, which have been depleted in recent years.

Going into the meeting, the 2012 total to be raised in taxation stood at $5.725 million, an increase of over $300,000 from the $5.4 million that was collected in 2011.

With the $100,000 savings, the 2012 total now stands at $5.625 million, an increase of $225,000 (4.25%) over 2011.

Council made no further cuts to the budget.

When the 4.25% increase in local taxes is combined with education taxes and county taxes, the net effect on ratepayers will be an increase in the 2% to 3%

range, an increase that is in line with inflation and increases in property values due to growth.

Given that the first draft of the budget envisioned a 15% increase in local taxation, the outcome of the budget process will come as a relief to beleaguered ratepayers.

Most of the cuts to the budget came from the roads and fire departments. $210,000 in savings came from a decision to defer the purchase of a tandem truck for another year, and the curtailing of a planned road construction project on the Arden Road.

The budget includes only limited road construction for 2012, which was also the case in 2011.

Waste management bylaw approved -

A bylaw that details all of the changes to the waste management system, including the clear bag system, was presented to council. Among the highlights of the bylaw are the clear bag system and tipping fees for bulk waste. The proposed bylaw is posted on the township website.

Council is slated to approve the bylaw at their February 28 meeting.

Change to staff benefits plan deferred -

CAO Shawn Trépanier brought forward a proposal that the employee benefits program be transferred to a Great West Life plan, pulling Central Frontenac out of a pooled plan with Frontenac County.

“What this proposal does is provide extended dental care, an enhanced health plan and a new short-term disability plan to add to the current long-term disability plan,” said Trépanier. “At the same time it will bring a rate reduction of $18,000 to the township and $6,300 to the employees.”

Mayor Gutowski wondered how it is that by going to a smaller pool of employees the costs could go down while benefits increase.

“I think we should defer this and investigate a bit further,” she said.

Councilor John Purdon asked if Trépanier had looked at the possibility of joining a pooled program that is available through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

Trépanier said he would make the requested inquiries and bring the matter back to council at a later date.

Signage project in Arden -

The friends of Arden are planning to put up a number of new signs, including a 10' by 12' sign at Highway 7 and Arden Road, an 8' by 6' sign at the Millpond in the hub of the hamlet, and three 4' x 8' panels to be used to consolidate the many contractor signs on trees throughout Arden in central locations.

A number of smaller signs are planed as well.

The Friends requested that township staff be tasked with looking for grant money to make the signage project a reality.

Councilor Frances Smith wondered about the wording of the request. “The way it reads it is only the township who is taking responsibility for this. I think we should add some language about the Friends of Arden working on these grant applications as well,” she said.

“The Friends of Arden have done all the work required to get this project to this point,” said Mayor Gutowski. “The grant writing part is only a small part, that they are asking for our help with.”

Council agreed to task township staff with seeking grants for the Arden signage project.

 

 

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