Re: Integration of Municipalites

Ed Puszkar | Nov 11, 2020

Mr. Green,

You raised interesting points in your editorial referencing the integration of Frontenac Municipalities. Your key argument pertains to the differing tax rates. You did present numbers demonstrating the relatively significant difference between the tax rates. I assume that in each township, the Property value, Education Tax and County Tax rates are predetermined by their respective agencies and, would be impervious to any actions undertaken, such as township integration. This leaves the Municipal Tax rate which is based on the Services provided by the actual township.

You state the tax rate for Central Frontenac is the highest. Unfortunately, you do not provide any concrete substantiation for this difference in the tax rate; substantiations that could be ameliorated through integration. Neither do you delineate any of the perceived ‘inequities’. You state that there are ‘different capacities to deliver services and promote our collective interests’. Is this solely based on the tax rate? Is this valid? Is the difference in the tax rate due because more or less services are provided? If so, why? Do they meet the requirements of the residents of the township? If not, what are the residents doing about it? Is it due to geographical and population factors that are large enough to justify the differences? If so, then North Frontenac should have the highest tax rate since its population is significantly smaller than the other two. Since one of the townships is, as you stated, ‘separated from the others by the City of Kingston’, would it not make more fiscal sense for that township to consider amalgamation with the City of Kingston rather than with the other two townships? Does a reason for integration exist just because Central Frontenac is ‘so cash strapped’? Are there any other factors?

Just as an idea, if you are considering the appropriate cost savings over the three townships as well as a desire ‘to truly fend for ourselves’, then why not eliminate one layer of administration, the ‘paper tiger’? Given the abundance of administrative staff that you pointed out in the townships, why not distribute the responsibilities of Frontenac County to the townships, as well as the appropriate funds to manage those responsibilities. I understand that one might offer economies of scale as a substantiation for the County, but you have indicated that it provides very little direct services to the townships.

Finally, it is interesting to note, that ‘previous reviews have been done and are gathering dust on a shelf somewhere’. This begs the question of why the County bothers to conduct these reviews, other than to spend money, and justify its existence. Furthermore, you never touched upon the issue of accountability with respect to the expenditures of tax payer funds for apparently frivolous and meaningless reviews by the County.