Frontenac County Council - Mar. 15/11

Jeff Green | Mar 17, 2011

County preliminary budget

Frontenac County Council will have their first look at the 2011 budget this week at an all-day meeting at the County offices in Glenburnie.

Although the budget calls for some increased spending in various departments, the impact to the ratepayers in Frontenac County is touted at an increase of 1.36%.

There are increased costs for ambulance service, Fairmount Home, administration and the cost of the council itself within the budget, offset by some uploading of the provincial costs for the Ontario Disability Support Program that the county had been responsible for in the past.

County Council is considering the budget as part of their regular monthly meeting this week and has a special meeting scheduled for March 30 as well.

Gas tax allocation proposal

In concert with their budget debate, Frontenac County Council will be considering how to spend some of the federal gas tax rebate money they have received.

Over six years, including this year, the county has received more than $3.6 million as its share of gas tax rebate money from the federal government. The money is earmarked for “environmentally sustainable infrastructure” in the words of the agreement that all recipients of the funding must sign with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), which administers the funds for the federal government.

Another $3.6 million has been received directly by the four member townships of Frontenac County (North South and Central Frontenac and Frontenac Islands), split up according to population. The largest share of the money, over $2 million, has gone to South Frontenac because it has the bulk of the population in the county.

The local townships are all subject to the same agreement with AMO as the county is. The township portion of the money has been spent on various fixed infrastructure projects, such as bridge construction, salt containment domes, and road upgrades

Of the money the County has received, just over $800,000 has been spent so far, and county staff propose spending about $625,000 in 2011, which would still leave $2.3 million dollars in the county bank account.

County staff propose transferring $110,000 back to the local townships for “new township roads and/or bridges projects. The rest of the money, $515,000, would fund the following County initiatives:

Community Improvement Plans $25,000; Smaller Scale Sustainability Projects $50,000; New Energy Project $25,000; Green Business Park $10,000; Milk Processing Plant $15,000; Natural Heritage $60,000; Seniors Housing Study $40,000; Septic System Pilot Project $35,000; Transportation Management Plan $70,000; Investment in CIP projects $70,000; Frontenac K&P Trail $120,000

The staff proposals are being considered by County Council this week.